Tennessee businessmen among 4 killed in Colorado Springs plane crash
- - Tennessee businessmen among 4 killed in Colorado Springs plane crash
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY February 17, 2026 at 1:41 AM
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Tennessee businessmen among 4 killed in Colorado Springs plane crash
Authorities have released the names of four people, including two Tennessee businessmen, who died in plane crash bound for northern Colorado late last week.
The Routt County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Aaron Stokes, 47, his son Jakson Stokes, 21, and nephew Colin Stokes, 21, and Austin Huskey, 37, all from Middle Tennessee.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the plane crashed during the early morning hours of Feb. 13 near Steamboat Springs, a ski town in the state's northern region about 155 miles northwest of Denver.
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where a UPS plane crashed into in November on Jan. 13, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing noted failures with parts of the pylon, a structural component that connects the engine, during four incidents on three MD-11 airplanes, which is the same model of the UPS plane that crashed Nov. 4. After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Cleanup continued at the industrial site near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport where a UPS plane crashed into in November on Jan. 13, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing noted failures with parts of the pylon, a structural component that connects the engine, during four incidents on three MD-11 airplanes, which is the same model of the UPS plane that crashed Nov. 4. After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/opBEavEQFNDajymo5xb0RQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03ODY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/39183272d48b8d1a649eac519e3a097c class=caas-img data-headline="Cleanup continues at site of deadly UPS Flight 2976 crash in Louisville" data-caption="
Cleanup continued at the industrial site near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport where a UPS plane crashed into in November on Jan. 13, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing noted failures with parts of the pylon, a structural component that connects the engine, during four incidents on three MD-11 airplanes, which is the same model of the UPS plane that crashed Nov. 4. After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
">Cleanup continued at the industrial site near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport where a UPS plane crashed into in November on Jan. 13, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing noted failures with parts of the pylon, a structural component that connects the engine, during four incidents on three MD-11 airplanes, which is the same model of the UPS plane that crashed Nov. 4. After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/opBEavEQFNDajymo5xb0RQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03ODY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/39183272d48b8d1a649eac519e3a097c class=caas-img>
1 / 25Cleanup continues at site of deadly UPS Flight 2976 crash in Louisville
Cleanup continued at the industrial site near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport where a UPS plane crashed into in November on Jan. 13, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. In a February 2011 letter to airlines, Boeing noted failures with parts of the pylon, a structural component that connects the engine, during four incidents on three MD-11 airplanes, which is the same model of the UPS plane that crashed Nov. 4. After takeoff, the pylon and left engine UPS Flight 2976 detached from the wing, resulting in a catastrophic crash that killed 15 people, including the three crew members aboard the plane.
According to a preliminary FAA report, the single-engine Epic Aircraft E1000 crashed under unknown circumstances near Emerald Mountain. Online flight tracking shows the plane took off from the Kansas City Downtown Airport just after 10 p.m., for Bob Adams Airport before it crashed southeast of the city-owned airport.
The plane, manufactured in 2024, was registered to ALS Aviation LCC in Franklin, Tenn.
Plane crash Steamboat Springs
Aaron Stokes lived in Franklin according to information from his obituary, The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Franklin is city in Williamson County, about 20 miles south of downtown Nashville.
According to his LinkedIn page, he founded Shop Fix Academy, owned and operated five auto repair shops and hosted a radio show "Fixin' Cars with Aaron Stokes" on 99.7 WTN.
In a post on Facebook, Annie Stokes called her brother "a great leader and coach and businessman."
“The loss has deeply impacted his family, the Shop Fix Academy team, and the broader automotive community," the company released in a statement on Facebook. “Stokes helped thousands of auto repair shop owners, and countless other business leaders, achieve meaningful growth in their businesses and leadership... His legacy extends far beyond financial performance."
USA TODAY has reached out to the victims' families.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Huskey Building Supply (@huskeybuildingsupply)
Husky, his company, confirmed was the CEO of Husky Building Supply, also located in Franklin.
In a separate post on Instagram, Huskey Building Supply released this statement: “With heavy hearts, we grieve the unexpected passing of our CEO, Austin Huskey. Austin was a fearless leader, a gracious man, a devoted father and husband, and a faithful follower of Christ."
The National Transportation Safety Board posted on X it was investigating the cause of the crash.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 killed in Colorado plane crash in Steamboat Springs
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