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PROVO — A small airplane crashed immediately after taking off from the Provo Airport Monday, killing one person and critically injuring another.
Provo officials have now closed the Provo Airport until at least noon on Tuesday.
An aircraft based at the Provo Airport took off about 11:35 a.m. and immediately crashed about 1,500 feet down the runway. The plane had four passengers, according to the city of Provo.
Debris from the crash littered the main runway, halting all arrivals and departures.
"One individual has died as a result of the accident. One individual was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The remaining two individuals received what appears to be minor bumps and bruises," according to a statement on Provo's Facebook page.
The airport was closed, "as is typical with an incident of this nature," the city said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating.
"The Provo Airport's been closed until further notice. Right now we're saying noon tomorrow, but that could extend based on the investigation," Provo Airport Director Brian Torgersen said.
The investigation will look into what caused the crash. Torgersen said, however, that it does not appear to be a weather-related crash.
Hundreds of passengers scrambled to find a way home Monday after the crash. About 10 flights out of Provo – mostly Allegiant – were canceled. About 10 more flights heading to Provo were either canceled or diverted, Torgersen said.
Torgersen called it "pretty impactful with today being kind of the end of holiday. Couldn't have happened at a worst time for our passengers."
Curt and Kimberly Payne were considering driving 22 hours to their home in Texas. Several people took rental cars to Arizona.
Amber Robinson was visiting family in Utah. She'd already boarded the plane home to Arizona when the crash happened, so everyone had to get off the plane.
"That's so life," she said. "You can't help if it snows. You can't help if there's an accident."
