Two Killed in Plane Crash in Tooele County

Two Killed in Plane Crash in Tooele County


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TOOELE, Utah (AP) -- Two people were killed when their single-engine plane crashed Saturday in the Cedar Mountains west of Salt Lake City.

The plane went down in calm weather about 1:30 p.m. eight miles south of Interstate 80 in Tooele County. The crash occurred just south of Hastings Pass, a rugged area of the mountain range located about 25 miles west of Tooele.

James Messinger, 52, of Salt Lake City, and Dawn Sebesta, 56, of Park City, were killed. The pilot, who dialed 911 after the crash to lead rescuers to the site, and his wife survived.

The pilot and his wife were in critical condition Saturday night at University Hospital in Salt Lake City. Hospital helicopters flew the pair off the mountain.

Authorities said they did not know where the flight was headed or from where it took off.

The wreckage was first identified by F-16 fighter jet pilots doing routine exercise runs across the west desert from nearby Hill Air Force Base, Tooele County Sheriff Frank Park said.

National Transportation Safety Board officials were expected to be at the site Sunday to examine the wreckage and find a cause.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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