Pilot reported problems prior to Colorado crash

Colorado crash site

A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the pilot of a Gadsden plane carrying five people that crashed into a Colorado reservoir Saturday afternoon reported being in a spin before losing communications.  Peter Knudson, a spokesman for NTSB in Washington, D.C., said the plane had radioed it was in distress shortly before the crash.  Investigators will  look at the plane, its maintenance history, whether any key equipment is missing, and maintenance issues prior to the accident or any recording devices. And an investigation will also look at weather and the area in which the plane went down. 

Authorities  say that they have located five bodies amid the wreckage of a plane crash.  It is believed, but not officially confirmed, that the five victims are all from the Gadsden area. The following people are believed to have been on the flight: the pilot, Jimmy Hill, and passengers Katrina Barksdale, her two young boys Kobe and Xander, and their cousin Seth McDuffie. The group were headed to Colorado for spring break when the plane crashed south of the Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado.  Investigators says between eight and 10 people witnessed the plane crash Saturday afternoon. Authorties say the weather conditions were windy and a rain/snow mix was falling at the time of the crash. Witnesses say it sounded as if the engine was cutting in and out on the single-engine Socata. Some witnesses reported seeing the plane "spiraling down from outside the clouds."  A special dive team has been called in to assist in the recovery of the plane. The altitude of the reservoir is 6,800 feet above sea level. This  Authorities say the salvage team will arrive Wednesday and review the sonar data before determining a recovery timeline.

height, combined with the cold water and depth of the wreckage, are making recovery more challenging.