SALT LAKE CITY — Police have identified two men who died in a small plane crash over the weekend in the mountains of northern Utah.
Devin Criddle, 26, died at the scene of the crash near Powder Mountain ski area Saturday morning, authorities said. He was a student at Utah State University and was taking his first flight in hopes of becoming a pilot one day, his sister Carlee Criddle told KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City.
Braeden Raleigh, 21, was serving as his instructor for what was supposed to be a 45-minute introductory flight, the station reported. He suffered severe burns and died after being flown to the University of Utah burn center.
The plane went down shortly after takeoff at Ogden’s Hinkley Airport after witnesses reported seeing a low-flying aircraft followed by an explosion, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash of the Cessna 172S.
It’s not clear what caused the crash. It resulted in a small fire, but officials say the crash site was cold and wet so the fire was quickly extinguished.
