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ST. GEORGE — Officials identified the pilot who died when the plane he was flying crashed at the St. George airport Saturday morning, officials confirmed.
The crash took place about 9 a.m. Saturday and involved a "single-engine, ultralight experimental aircraft," St. George city planner Marc Mortensen said.
The aircraft involved was a single-engine Colonial C2, according to Federal Aviation Administration Spokesman Ian Gregor.
The pilot — identified as Sterling Palmer, 69, of St. George — was killed on the impact, Mortensen said, and was the only person in the plane.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Palmer’s family at this time,“ St. George Mayor Jon Pike said in an emailed statement.
Photos from St. George News showed the plane on the side of the runway. As of 12:30 p.m., officials had cleared the runway and resumed regular airport activity.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Gregor said aircraft crash investigations can take a year or more before a cause is determined.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash with help from the St. George Police Department Investigations Division, Gregor said.
Contributing: Yvette Cruz, KSL.com
