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SANTA CLARA — Two people were killed in a plane crash near Santa Clara Wednesday, police said. The single-engine plane was registered to a flight school in the St. George area, according to police.
At 11:09 a.m., the Washington County Sheriff's office said it received a report of a possible aircraft crash near the Cove Wash trailhead, at the southwest end of Santa Clara. Life Flight was called to the scene, and two occupants of the plane were confirmed to be dead.
A Utah Highway Patrol helicopter assisted in recovering the bodies Wednesday afternoon. The victims were not identified on the day of the crash pending the notification of family.
Jonathan Hawkins said he and his brother saw the plane go down at about 9 a.m. He said the plane sounded loud, but didn't seem to be experiencing any trouble until it sputtered and suddenly dropped out of the sky.
"I heard a sputter, and it was going down and losing control," Hawkins said. "That was the last we heard — the sputter, and then it just died."
The plane seemed to go straight down behind a ridge, according to Hawkins. He said he went to where he could see the plane and called out, but no one from the plane answered his call.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will be working with detectives from the sheriff's office to investigate the crash, according to Sgt. Dave Crouse.
Investigators were unaware of any radio traffic or emergency beacons that would indicate the aircraft was in distress prior to the crash.
Contributing: Stace Hall
Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com
