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UTAH COUNTY -- A small aircraft crashed in Utah County Saturday, severely injuring the pilot.
[Ultralight pilots] do generally have some type of certification and other things they earn. It's not something you just go out and do, obviously for this type of reason.
–Sgt. Eldon Packer, UTCO Sheriff's Office
"He was banged up pretty good," said Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Eldon Packer.
The Utah County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 8:30 a.m. from the pilot. He said he had crashed near the Cedar Valley Airport.
"We responded to the area, found that he was injured -- quite severely, critical -- so we took him in a chopper," Packer said.
The pilot, 47-year-old Bryon Petersen of Sandy, had multiple injuries including a broken leg. He was LifeFlighted to Intermountain Medical Center in critical condition.
Peterson was flying this ultralight near Cedar Fort when he crashed. It's a motorized aircraft made for a single person and can reach speeds up to 63 miles an hour.
"Generally, these are an amateur-type hobby. They don't have to a pilot's license," Packer said. "They do generally have some type of certification and other things they earn. It's not something you just go out and do, obviously for this type of reason."
Deputies say the pilot took off from the airport, but they don't know what caused the crash.
"We'll come out and make sure he had all the necessary things to fly," Packer said.
The NTSB and the FAA have been notified of the crash. The FAA says the aircraft was unregistered, something it will be looking into.
E-mail: aforester@ksl.com
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