Plane crashes into Roy neighborhood

Dec. 5, 2010

ROY -- A plane crashed into a Roy neighborhood Sunday night, critically injuring the pilot. No one was killed.

Authorities confirmed three homes in the area of 2000 West and 4300 South were on fire. Fire officials say those fires have now been contained.

The Cessna 220 began to struggle in the heavy fog and clipped a power line just before 6 p.m., Roy City Fire Chief Jon Ritchie said.

"It hit the power line so those things were kind of sparking at you, and parts of the plane were still on fire," said neighbor Jennifer Presiler.

Pilot pulled from plane
Neighbor Gary Cox helped pull the pilot from the plane. He says the pilot was confused and badly burned but was able to answer questions.

"Pretty banged up, burnt on his hands and face, but he was actually coherent and remembered what his name was and what he was doing," Cox said.

The pilot was able to confirm he was the only person in the plane at the time of the crash. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Cox says there was "nothing left" of the plane, but that parts were scattered across the road.

Residents evacuated, power outages reported
The crash site is just southwest of the Ogden-Hinckley Airport. Fire crews were evacuating residents to North Park Elementary School at 2175 W. 4200 South. At least 50 people had checked in at the shelter.

Residents are reporting widespread power outages in the neighborhood. As of 8 p.m., Rocky Mountain Power reported 770 homes without power.

Roy Police Chief Greg Whinham said the neighborhood's residents were all accounted for Sunday night, and no one but the pilot was reported to be hurt.

Police are asking residents to stay away from the crash site, which has been congested with people and cars. Emergency crews are having a difficult time getting in and out of the area.

Fourth crash in the area in just 21 years
This is the fourth time a small plane has crashed in this area. On March 12, 1989, the pilot of a single-engine plane escaped with just minor injuries when his plane crashed in small field on the south side of 44th South at about 16th West.

Then in July of 1999, four people were killed when their single-engine plane plunged into the backyard of a home at 4311 S. 1900 West -- across the street from the airport runways.

Before hitting the ground, the plane clipped several tall trees, ripping off several large limbs and then flipped onto its top. It burst into flames upon impact.

In 2005, two men survived when their single-engine plane crashed into a home at 2133 W. 4300 South and burst into flames. No one was home at the time, but police evacuated nearly 100 people from about 30 homes in the neighborhood.

Both the pilot and co-pilot walked away from the plane. They were treated for serious injuries.

"I'm not happy about it at all," said Marné Bowden Sunday. "This is the third plane that's crashed in this exact same neighborhood. The one plane hit a house two houses away from where it crashed today."

Cause of the crash is still unknown.