CARBONDALE, Colorado — Carbondale businessman, former town council candidate and Valley Journal columnist Barry Maggert died Thursday when his single-engine plane crashed in the mountains about 40 miles west of Denver.

"To say that it's a shock is a little bit of an understatement," said Rock Leonard, a friend of Maggert's. "Barry was a good guy."

Gilpin County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cherokee Blake said Maggert, 55, and a 23-year-old passenger were on the plane. They were reportedly on their way to a graduation for Maggert’s son, Lee Barry Maggert, in Boulder when the crash happened near Black Hawk on Thursday. The passenger's identity had not been revealed as of early Friday, but Maggert's twin sons, Lee and Bryant, are 23.

They had departed from the Glenwood Springs Airport earlier in the day. The plane is owned by Winkmaggair LLC, and is registered to Maggert, and Carroll Winkler of Glenwood Springs.

Maggert was a regular columnist for The Valley Journal, penning a Libertarian perspective in “Live & Let Live” for the past four years. He previously chaired the Garfield County Libertarian Party and made a third unsuccessful run for a Carbondale Town Trustee seat in April, and was a former Libertarian candidate for state and national office as well.

He owned Maggert & Associates Engineers in Carbondale. His younger brother is Jeff Maggert, a PGA tour golfer.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Maggert leaves behind his wife of 25 years, Renee Maggert, and three sons, twins Lee and Bryant and Taylor, 21.

Dick Weinberg, general manager of the Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport, said he was devastated to hear of the crash.

"The guy was extremely bright — extremely — you don't meet people that sharp every day of the week," Weinberg said.

He said he doesn't know what caused the plane to crash but that the weather wasn't cooperating. Thunder storms and big turbulence were reported, Weinberg said.

Blake said a Blackhawk helicopter was used to lower rescuers to the site of the crash because of the rough terrain and that the 23-year-old survivor was flown to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver.

According to reports, the passenger was able to call 911 on a cell phone after the crash to alert emergency officials. Due to the rugged terrain, rescue workers were unable to retrieve Maggert’s body Thursday, but planned to plow a road into the area Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been called in to investigate the accident.