A grieving mother of three has shared a heartbreaking tribute after her husband and two sons were killed in a plane crash in Colorado.
Mark Hendrickson, 46, was piloting the aircraft when it went down in western Colorado near Swampy Pass in Gunnison National Forest on Saturday. His sons, Alan, 15, and Case, 13, were also aboard.
Gunnison County officials said rescuers found all three victims dead when they reached the crash site.
The family was from New Castle in Garfield County. Mark and his sons are survived by Jenni and another son, Coen.
As she tried to come to terms with the devastating loss, Jenni shared a statement on social media, saying the crash had left her entire world “broken.”
‘I never thought I would have to write these words,’ she said. ‘The loves of my life and our two beautiful boys Alan and Case tragically passed away in a plane crash yesterday.
‘Our family’s world is broken,’ the grieving mother continued, thanking friends and relatives ‘for loving each of them and for holding us in your hearts and prayers.
‘Coen and I have a lot of love with us – we feel it and will need it for a long time,’ she added.
Jenni Hendrickson shared an emotional tribute to her husband, Mark, and their sons, Alan, 15, and Case, 13, after they were killed in a plane crash on Saturday
Mark, 46, was piloting the plane when it crashed in western Colorado near Swampy Pass in Gunnison National Forest
The boys’ aunt, Niccole Ruby Hendrickson, had previously confirmed their deaths in an online post.
She wrote: ‘Dearest friends and family, we ask for your prayers as we process the unthinkable; yesterday my husband Scott’s brother Mark and our two nephews Alan & Case tragically lost their lives in a plane crash.
‘We need you to wrap our sister in law, their son/ brother Coen, my in-laws, my husband, kids and family in unrelenting prayers.’
Emergency crews were called to the remote area near Swampy Pass at about 9.20am on Saturday after a 911 caller reported that an aircraft had crashed.
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Hendrickson and his two sons were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not said what type of plane Hendrickson was flying, where it was headed or what caused the aircraft to crash.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records show that Hendrickson had held a private pilot’s license since at least 2023.
His certification allowed him to fly single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft intended for land operations under the FAA’s Airplane Single-Engine Land (ASEL) rating.
Mark is pictured with his three sons. Alan and Case, shown with their surviving brother, were also killed in the plane crash
The fatal crash is being investigated by the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office, the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA and the US Forest Service.
Gunnison County said it ‘extends its deepest condolences to the Hendrickson family during this difficult time.’
‘The Hendrickson family wishes to express their sincere gratitude for the respect, compassion, and support they have received following this devastating tragedy,’ county officials said in a press release.
‘Additional information regarding the investigation will be released by the appropriate investigating agencies as it becomes available.’
Hendrickson earned his bachelor’s of engineering from Pittsburgh State University in 2003 after majoring in construction management, his LinkedIn profile said.
He had been working as a manager at Denver-based Shaw Construction LLC at the time of the crash.
According to his profile, he had worked at the firm for nearly 10 years.
Alan played on the varsity football and baseball teams at his local high school, according to the MaxPreps high school athletics database.
