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CACHE COUNTY — A Utah State University aviation student died in a plane crash Monday while flying as part of the school's pilot training program Monday afternoon.
Frank Marino De Leon Compres, 21, was flying over an area of hilly farmland between Hyrum and Paradise, according to authorities, when his single-engine, DA-40 Diamond Aircraft plane crashed just after noon.
Emergency responders found De Leon Compres dead. Nobody else was aboard the aircraft, said Cache County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Matt Bilodeau.
Additional aircraft from the Logan-Cache Airport were used to spot the crashed plane, Bilodeau said. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
De Leon Compres, who was from the Dominican Republic, was a senior in Utah State's aviation technology and professional pilot programs. He was flying to obtain more solo flight hours required to get his commercial pilot license, said university spokeswoman Maren Aller.
Others in the program are stunned and saddened by the student's sudden death, Aller said. De Leon Compres was also a member of USU's Dominican Republic Student Association and a resident assistant at the university's Davis Hall.
The plane took off from Logan-Cache Airport. There was a 6 mph wind at the time, but flying conditions were considered satisfactory with no applicable restrictions, Aller said.
Aller said De Leon Compres' death is the first in the history of the USU aviation program, which was founded in 1939. About 180 students are currently enrolled in the professional pilot program at the university.
Aviation professor Andreas Wesemman praised De Leon Compres, saying he was an honors student whom other students admired.
“He was one of our sharpest," Wesemman said in a statement. "He was well-motivated and well-liked in the program. This is a sad day for the USU aviation program.”
Contributing: Cleon Wall, Andrew Adams
