US News

Four dead in Utah small plane crash

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Four people were killed Saturday when a small plane crashed at a Utah airport.

The single-engine Cessna 172 crashed at St. George Municipal Airport, in the southwest corner of the state, under “unknown circumstances,” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Ian Gregor told KSTU-TV.

The crash is believed to have occurred about 1:30am, but it wasn’t discovered until hours later during a patrol of the airport’s perimeter.

Airport spokesman Marc Mortensen said, “There was no fire reported. It was basically upside down, laying on a dirt surface 300 feet [91m] south of the runway.”

Authorities did not immediately release the identities of those on board or additional details about the crash as they were still working to identify one of the deceased.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were sending personnel to St. George on Saturday to begin an investigation.