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CEDAR CITY — Four people in a small plane died after it crashed Saturday evening near Cedar City, according to Iron County Sheriff's Office.
The plane, a 2004 Diamond DA-40 aircraft, left the Spanish Fork Municipal Airport around 2:45 p.m. and arrived at the Cedar City Regional Airport around 4:10 p.m. The plane's four occupants — Steven Eatchel, Lindsay Eatchel, Thomas Eatchel and Danielle Deagostini — were planning a sightseeing tour of Zion National Park and left Cedar City around 6:38 p.m.
Initial observations have led police to believe the plane flew about 6 miles up Cedar Canyon and tried to turn around, said Iron County Sheriff Ken Carpenter. "It appears that they may have caught a wing on some trees which caused the plane to go into the ground, but we don't know if they were having mechanical problems or what the status of the aircraft was."
About 6:47 p.m., authorities were notified of a fire around five miles east of Cedar City on state Route 14. Iron County sheriff deputies, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Color County Fire personnel responded to the scene and discovered the plane on fire.
After discovering the downed, burning plane, paramedics were dispatched from Gold Cross Ambulance, along with Cedar Fire and Iron County Search and Rescue to assist with the recovery and investigation.
The four occupants of the plane were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff's office.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were notified of the crash. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Steven Eatchel, the pilot, was a deputy with the Utah County Sheriff's Office working in the courts with the judicial services bureau.
"These types of things are always difficult and they're personal," Carpenter said.
Deputy Steve Eatchel, his wife, and two other passengers were killed when the plane Steve was piloting crashed last night east of Cedar City. Steve was a Deputy in Corrections and has been with @UCSO for nearly 12 years. They leave behind 4 children. https://t.co/IQtx8qRNuApic.twitter.com/7xUhjlqlNQ
— Spencer Cannon (@SGTCannonPIO) April 24, 2022
