1 dead after plane from Idaho crashes in Utah, officials say

SPANISH FORK, Utah — A man is dead after an aircraft that departed from Idaho on Thursday crashed in Utah County, officials confirmed Friday.

The wreckage of the plane was found west of Utah Lake on Friday afternoon, according to Federal Aviation Administration communications manager Ian Gregor. The plane burned after it crashed, he said.

KSL.com reports the wreckage was located on the south end of Lake Mountain, which is the peak directly west of Utah Lake, Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon said. Officials did not know exactly when the crash took place.

There was only one person on the plane when it crashed, Cannon said. He did not know the cause of the crash.

The twin-engine Cessna 320 took off from Caldwell, Idaho, on Thursday and was scheduled to return there, but did not return on time, according to Gregor. The plane also was scheduled to make a refueling stop at the Provo Airport, Cannon said.

The pilot was working a commercial operation and was taking photos for a company, Cannon said. Some of his co-workers became concerned about the man about 4:30 p.m., he said. The pilot was not expected to stop in Provo until 5 or 6 p.m., but was not consistently checking in, Cannon added.

Cannon said the pilot was an adult man, whose identity was not released. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash, but neither agency identifies people involved with aircraft accidents, Gregor said.

Civil Air Patrol and Utah Department of Public Safety also assisted with the search for the plane, Cannon said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.