Upper West Side Man Dies In Colorado Plane Accident

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side resident, pilot, and founder of multiple charter plane companies was killed on Saturday in a private plane crash in Colorado, according to authorities.

David Zara, 58, who called the Upper West Side home, died Saturday along with Upper East Side oral surgeon Ruben Cohen when their small plane crashed in the mountains outside of Aspen, about 14 minutes after taking off in a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft en-route to Des Moines, Iowa.

Zara's death was announced by local authorities on Tuesday.

Zara founded the charter plane companies Zen Air and Tradewind Aviation, but had not been involved in the management of Zen Air for several years, a company spokesperson told the NY Post and Daily News.

“David was incredibly charismatic, thoughtful, and had a passion for flying. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with the Zara family and the many who were privileged to have called David a friend," a Tradewind spokesperson told the Daily News.

Neighbors told the Daily News that Zara was the father of two, and had just recently retaken his pilot certifications.

Cohen's and Zara's bodies were both recovered by rescue workers on Sunday. The cause of the crash is now being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Aspen Times reported.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.

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