Jan. 3 (UPI) — A small plane with four people on board has crashed near Salt lake City, killing one person and hospitalizing another in critical condition, officials said.
The incident happened at about 11:35 a.m. Monday at the Provo Municipal Airport, located in the Utah city of Provo, which is about 45 miles south of the state capital.
Provo city officials said the plane crashed immediately after takeoff. The two other occupants of the plane only received minor “bumps and bruises,” the city said in a statement.
The identifies of the victims were not released to the public.
The airport said it will be closed until noon Tuesday due to the crash.
“As is typical with an incident of this nature, the Provo Airport has been closed awaiting an investigation by the FAA and the NTSB,” it said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which confirmed it was investigating the crash, has identified the aircraft as an Embraer 505, a twin-engine jet.
The cause of the crash was unclear, officials said.
“Nobody knows what happened,” airport director Brian Torgersen told FOX 13. “Immediately after takeoff something occurred to cause the aircraft to lose control.
“It’s a devastating scene, and we’re heartbroken for the family and those involved,” he said.
