'Good Samaritans' rescue 3 passengers in West Jordan plane crash


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WEST JORDAN — A small plane crashed and went up in flames at a soccer complex near the South Valley Regional Airport Sunday morning, police say.

Witnesses helped remove a man, his wife and their adult daughter, of Boise, Idaho, from the plane before it caught on fire, police said.

"Good Samaritans saw the accident and responded right away," said Sgt. Dan Roberts with the West Jordan Police Department. "I'm sure it saved their lives."

David Lawrence and Robert Kelley were the men who helped. Lawrence used to be a volunteer firefighter and has EMT training. Kelley is in the Utah National Guard.

"It never got any higher than 40 or 50 feet off the ground," Lawrence said.

"He banked left and put his landing gear down," Kelley added. "That's when I knew he was going down."

Kelly said he noticed the engine on fire.

"I fly helicopters," Kelley said. "I know as soon as a plane is on fire, there's a big likelihood it will explode."

The pilot was unconscious. His wife and adult daughter were in a lot of pain. Kelley and the others pulled them out just in time.

"I think another three to four minutes, they would have been burned," Lawrence said. "They were very fortunate."

All three people were in critical condition as the man and one of the women were taken by helicopter. The second woman was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, according to Roberts.

"The fact that they were conscious and alert after the impact when they were pulled away from the wreckage is significant," Roberts said.

"I was at the right place at the right time, that's all that it was," Kelley said. Lawrence agreed.

"We were just glad to be here at that time," Lawrence said.

Police said the pilot took off around 9 a.m. and may have experienced technical problems when the plane struck a light pole and a small berm before crashing on the soccer field.

Most of the plane was destroyed, and firefighters had to put out flames that spread from the plane to the grass, police said.

The accident occurred about a mile from the airport runway near 7921 Airport Road.

Contributing: Mike Radice and Brianna Bodily

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