PUEBLO, COLO. -- Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has canceled the event planned for Sunday in Pueblo, because of the crash of a small aircraft at the Pueblo airport.
An experimental, home-built plane crashed at at Pueblo Memorial Airport around 8:20 a.m. Sunday, killing one person and closing two of three runways.
The man who owned the locally-based aircraft died in the crash.
Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer identified the pilot as 68-year-old George V. McHenry, Jr., of Pueblo. He was the only person on board.
Romney campaign spokesman Rick Gorka says the crash is under investigation and the campaign did not want to interfere with the investigation or any emergency response efforts. The event was scheduled to be held at the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum on the airport's grounds at around 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Thousands were expected to attend.
The campaign has not announced whether the event might be rescheduled, and the airport is uncertain when the runways will reopen.
The crash also prompted the Obama campaign to cancel an event in Pueblo on Sunday featuring local leaders speaking in opposition of Romney.
Colorado is among a handful of battleground states being heavily courted by Romney and President Barack Obama.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKXRM