Pilot Dies Crashing Plane Into His Payson Home After Domestic Violence Arrest
Aug 13, 2018, 10:10 AM | Updated: 2:21 pm
PAYSON, Utah – A pilot crashed a plane into his own home in Payson Monday morning, killing himself.
Sgt. Noemi Sandoval with the Payson Police Department said Duane Youd’s wife and a juvenile, who were in the home at the time, “miraculously” escaped without injury. Police weren’t sure of the juvenile’s connection to Youd.
Sandoval said the crash occurred around 2:30 a.m., seven hours after Youd was arrested for a domestic violence incident involving his wife in American Fork Canyon.
“They had been drinking. He assaulted her and witnesses saw this happen,” said Sandoval.
She said he was arrested by Utah County deputies Sunday night and made bail.
Around 12:30 a.m. Monday, Sandoval said Youd called Payson Police Department asking them to escort him to his home so he could gather some of his belongings and pick up his truck. They did.
“There were no indications. There was no argument here at the home. He left and then later on we got the call that the plane had flown into the house,” Sandoval said.
At about 2:30 a.m., the plane crashed into the house and set it on fire after it clipped a neighbor’s garage.
“Our house just shook and then a really loud, loudest explosion I’ve probably ever heard, and we ran to the front door and you could see flames bigger than their house,” said Tyler Geldmacher.
He, his wife, and two daughters were asleep at the time.
“Yes, pretty shocked to see that it hit our house. I mean obviously we didn’t get the worst of it so we’re grateful we’re all OK, but just a rough situation,” he said.
While he didn’t want to talk about his neighbor’s personal lives, it was evident he was still trying to wrap his head around what police sad Duane Youd did.
“(He was) an amazing man. Really nice. Always helping us out,” said Geldmacher, referring to Youd.
Sandoval said the Payson Police Department also arrested Youd for a domestic violence incident earlier this year.
The Payson Police Departments, FAA, and the NTSB continue to investigate.
“It’s a lucky thing for us, if anything in this whole situation, is we have the destruction of property and one male deceased, but it could have been so much worse,” Sandoval said.
Chopper 5 was on scene Monday morning to capture the aftermath of the incident:
