Doctor and Daughter Die in Small Plane Crash in Colorado Mountains

A Colorado doctor, identified as Aaron Gingrich, 43, and his three-year-old daughter, Isabella, died on October 4 when the small plane Gingrich was piloting crashed in a mountainous area near Eldorado Springs. The National Transit Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report indicating that the aircraft was flying at an altitude as low as 7,375 feet minutes before the crash.

Gingrich and Isabella had departed from Longmont's Vance Brand Airport for a nearly three-hour flight over northern Colorado. Flight tracking data showed an erratic flight path, prompting a report of potentially dangerous flying from another pilot over the radio.

Search and rescue crews began searching for the plane overnight, but the wreckage was not discovered until the following morning. A MedEvac helicopter equipped with night vision capabilities was deployed but was unable to locate the aircraft in the dark.

Officials recovered the single-engine Diamond DA40 at an elevation of 7,360 feet. The mountainous terrain in the area ranges from 6,500 to 7,500 feet.

The Boulder County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Gingrich and his daughter. The incident has been classified as an aircraft mishap.

Gingrich was an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. He obtained his private pilot license in 2016 and had worked as an ER doctor in multiple states and countries. He also previously opened a clinic offering ketamine treatments in Texas.

In addition to his medical career, Gingrich was also a trapeze artist. A Swiss-based trapeze group shared a tribute on social media, remembering his positive energy and kindness.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support Isabella's mother, Lauren Willcox. As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had garnered over $14,000, with donations intended for Isabella's memorial and potentially a community donation or memorial structure in Boulder.