Pilot of small aircraft seriously injured after plane crash near Escalante

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

ESCALANTE, Garfield County — A pilot flying a small, ultralight aircraft suffered injuries Friday afternoon after crashing the aircraft, police said.

Garfield County sheriff's spokesman Wade Matthews said the crash happened shortly after the small aircraft's takeoff from the Escalante Municipal Airport.

The pilot was seriously injured from the crash, but police don't suspect at this time that the injuries are life-threatening. The pilot was taken to St. George Regional Hospital for treatment.

A specific cause for the crash was not given; however, Matthews said neither the FAA nor the NTSB will conduct an investigation due to the small aircraft's classification.