One killed in West Jordan plane crash

WEST JORDAN, Utah — One person was killed in a small plane crash in West Jordan Wednesday.

According to Detective Alondra Zavala, the plane crashed near New Bingham Road by Airport Road and 7800 South.

The identity of the plane’s pilot, the sole occupant, has not yet been confirmed.

The Federal Aviation Administration released the following statement,

“A single-engine Cassutt crashed near South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan, Utah, around 12 p.m. local time on Wednesday, August 23. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”

Officials on scene could not provide details about how the crash happened.

Drivers in the area said the red and blue plane caught their attention.

“I saw the plane go up, it was colorful and it caught my attention. I saw it do something weird,” Casesar Rocha, who witnessed the crash, said. “It kind of banked in a very weird way and then plummeted, straight down.”

Jeremy Lowe saw the crash after it happened and said he responded immediately to the needs of the pilot.

“For me, it was, military training kicked back in and I knew what I had to do to try and help save his life,” Lowe said. “It was just debris all over the road and a gentleman that was laying there in the middle of the road like he had been ejected.”

Lowe said another woman had already begun CPR. The two worked to help the pilot until paramedics arrived.

“Still a little bit in a state of shock. It’s very sad for his family. I feel for anybody that he might’ve left behind,” Lowe said.

The NTSB said in a Tweet that the aircraft involved was a Hensler Cassutt plane, which is a racing airplane.

A crowd of aviation community members gathered at the scene, wondering if they knew the victim. They told KSL this was a tough loss for the tight-knit group.

“Sorry for the family. That’s very sad. Somebody lost their life today,” Rocha said.