Pilot crashes small plane in southern Utah after buying it from Nevada, officials say
May 29, 2023, 6:05 AM | Updated: Oct 19, 2023, 10:24 am
The aftermath of the small plane crash in Washington County. (Enterprise Fire and EMS)
(Enterprise Fire and EMS)
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — Officials are trying to piece together a bizarre plane crash in southern Utah Sunday afternoon.
According to Washington County officials, the small plane went down at approximately 4:30 p.m. just west of Flat Top Mountain South in Washington County.
Officials said the pilot had recently bought the plane in Las Vegas, Nevada, and crashed shortly later in a field.
KSL TV reached out to the listed owner of the aircraft, and a person who identified themselves as an immediate family member of the pilot said the plane was not purchased or sold immediately prior to the crash and has been owned “for quite some time.” They confirmed that the pilot walked away, was not injured and had no further comment.
Officials said the travel log reported the plane was scheduled to fly from Las Vegas to Mona, Utah, before it circled back to Las Vegas and went off the radar for about three hours before the crash.
Officials said the pilot walked away from the crash and disappeared from first responders until they found him.
Officials said the pilot had a crash alert system on his smartwatch, which notified local dispatchers, who called him to ask about his status. He told them he was in an ATV accident and didn’t need help.
Because of the smartwatch alert, another team of first responders arrived on the scene looking for an ATV accident.
Washington County officials said the pilot was not harmed in the crash and refused medical attention. Officials are looking into the cause of the crash.
It’s unknown if this crash is connected to a reported plane crash in Daggett County that search and rescue teams couldn’t find.
