FALCON — Officials in El Paso County identified the pilot who died in a small plane crash southeast of Falcon this week.
Units from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and Falcon Fire Department arrived at the crash site, in the 6000 block of McCandlish Road, to find John O'Dell, 46, deceased in the plane.
O'Dell was the only person on the plane at the time of the crash.
Centura Health confirms to News5 O'Dell was a doctor at Penrose Hospital.
In a statement they said his colleagues are saddened and shocked by his loss, and that he "devotedly cared for our communities and neighbors."
Dr. John Odell was a dedicated and loyal member of our Centura Health and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services communities for 15 years and this loss is deeply felt by every caregiver in our hospitals. Dr. Odell forged genuine and meaningful relationships and connections with so many of his colleagues and patients throughout his career, as he devotedly cared for our communities and neighbors. Our deepest and most heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and loved ones, and all our caregivers who are grieving this painful loss.
The plane was on fire when Falcon FD crews arrived, but was put out before deputies got to the scene.
A witness who called 911 said it looked like the plane was trying to land when it flipped and came to rest upside down.
The Federal Aviation Administration will take over the investigation.
