By Randi Pierce
Staff Writer
Longtime Pagosa Springs resident William “Bill” Whittington was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Arizona on April 23.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Navajo County, Ariz., authorities identified the two people killed in a two-engine plane crash as Arizona residents Whittington, 71, of Scottsdale, and Stephen Kirkby, 48, of Cave Creek.
According to the AP, the plane crashed near Winslow, Ariz.
No information has been released on a possible cause of the crash, according to the AP, and it is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Autoweek reports that, according to friend, “Whittington was giving a plane ride to a friend who had terminal cancer.”
According to his obituary, Whittington moved to Pagosa Springs in 1992.
In 2004, Whittington’s daughters purchased The Springs Resort and Spa.
His obituary highlights that Whittington, along with his two brothers, are the only three brothers to start the Indianapolis 500, with that occurring in 1982.
