Two New Yorkers — including a career aviator — died when their private plane crashed over the weekend just outside Aspen, local authorities said.
Ruben Cohen and David Zara were found near the plane’s wreckage in Midway Pass after their 4:30 p.m. trip out of Aspen on Saturday never arrived in Des Moines, Iowa as scheduled, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said.
Local police received a report of a missing aircraft from a friend of one of the deceased at around 10:24 a.m. on Sunday, the release said.
Rescuers found the aircraft seven hours later, and a helicopter was able to land at the crash site to recover the bodies, the sheriff’s office said.
Zara, 58, was a professional pilot who previously founded charter plane companies Zen Air and Tradewind Aviation, a rep for the latter confirmed.
In 2015, Zara sued fashion designer Donna Karan’s son-in-law, Gianpaolo de Felice, accusing him of fleecing him out of profits from Zen Air, which they co-owned.
Zara had not been involved in Tradewind for “several years,” the rep said. His relationship to Cohen was not yet known.
“Tradewind Aviation is devastated to hear of the loss of our friend and colleague David Zara this past Saturday,” the company said in a statement.
“David was incredibly charismatic, thoughtful, and had a passion for flying. He will be deeply missed.”
The men were flying in a Beechcraft B36, also known as a Bonanza, according to the Aspen Times.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
With Post wires