Officials remove aircraft wreckage from Colorado wilderness

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The U.S. Forest Services has removed aircraft wreckage from the Colorado wilderness following a small plane crash.

The Post Independent reports that a small plane carrying a Colorado Springs couple went down January 7 in Flat Tops Wilderness. The passengers were rescued by a medical helicopter and received treatment for exposure to intense cold.

Because the plane crashed in an officially designated wilderness, the Forest Service was required to maintain the area's wilderness values when it went in to remove the wreckage. Rio Blanco District recreation program manager Tory Housing says the agency had the option of doing a helicopter extraction or using a pack of mules to haul the plane out in pieces.

He says the agency decided to use a helicopter, which allowed the wreckage to be removed sooner.