UPDATED: Officials release names of 4 killed in plane crash near Cedar City

Emergency vehicles parked along SR-14 near the scene of a fatal airplane crash approximately six miles east of Cedar City, Utah, April 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Four people were killed when a small airplane crashed in Cedar Canyon a few miles east of Cedar City on Saturday evening, authorities said.

Emergency responders near the scene of a fatal airplane crash approximately six miles east of Cedar City, Utah, April 23, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. David Mitchell said the initial call came in shortly before 7 p.m. as a report of a fire in the trees just to the south of state Route 14, at approximately mile marker 6.

When firefighters reached the scene, they found the burning remains of a downed aircraft, Mitchell said.

The single-engine, fixed wing aircraft was occupied by four people, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, he added. 

Sunday afternoon, the names of the two men and two women who died were released in an updated news release issued by Iron County Sheriff’s Office. Killed were pilot Steven Eatchel of Springville and passengers Lindsay Eatchel of Springville, Thomas Eatchel of Heber City and Danielle Deagostini of Sandy.

According to the updated statement, the four were flying in a 2004 Diamond DA-40 aircraft that had left the Spanish Fork Municipal Airport at approximately 2:45 p.m. Saturday enroute to Cedar City Regional Airport, where the plane landed at approximately 4:10 p.m. Then, following a layover of approximately two and one-half hours,  the aircraft took off from the Cedar City airport at approximately 6:38 p.m. for a planned sightseeing tour of Zion National Park. The plane was reportedly following SR-14 in an easterly direction up Cedar Canyon before radar communication was lost at 6:42 p.m., according to the news release.

“On scene deputies stated based off the debris, aircraft orientation, and damage to foliage, it appeared the aircraft crashed heading west from an easterly direction,” Sunday’s news release added.

“Again, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of those who lost their life in this tragic event,” the release stated.

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, firefighters and other responders had wrapped up the recovery operation and headed back down the canyon to Cedar City.

Mitchell said the state medical examiner’s office has been notified of the incident, as have investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Mitchell said additional information would be forthcoming as it becomes available.

Those responding to the incident included Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, Iron County Search and Rescue personnel, Utah Highway Patrol troopers, firefighters and crews from Cedar City Fire Department and Color Country Fire and Gold Cross Ambulance paramedics.

This is a developing story.

Updated April 24, 5:30 p.m. to include the identities of the four occupants who died, along with additional details about the aircraft and where it had been traveling.

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