Plane crash in Spanish Fork causes scare but no fatalities

200

A 66-year-old pilot from Orem was flying into the Spanish Fork Airport from Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 12, when his engine failed and he crashed into a field.

The plane, a single-engine Glasair 1, is a high performance aircraft build with fiberglass.

“Just south of the Spanish Fork airport, he lost the power to the engine,” Lt. Matt Johnson of the Spanish Fork Police Department said.

When the pilot realized his engine had failed, he immediately began for an emergency landing. He realized he wasn’t able to land on the runway so he crash landed into a field.

He had the landing gear down on the plane and as he attempted to land, the landing gear sunk down into the soil, causing the plane to flip. The wings were partially detached and the plane was pretty beat up, however the pilot only suffered a minor laceration to the head.

Not all the mysteries have been solved.

“This case is under investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation,” Allen Kenitzer, communications and media relations manager of the FAA Northwest Mountain and Alaska regions, said.

Charles Marks, an ancient near eastern studies major, who lives in Spanish Fork was concerned. “When I got the news I quickly checked online to see if it was a big crash,” he said. “When I found out that it was minor with no casualties I wasn’t concerned.”

Lt. Johnson expressed relief at the knowledge of the pilot’s safety.

“He’s very fortunate,” he said. “When I arrived I was expecting fatal injury.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email