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Pilot, Moab councilwoman seriously injured in Grand County plane crash

Posted at 10:12 AM, Aug 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-04 12:38:53-04

GRAND COUNTY, Utah — A pilot and his passenger suffered serious injuries Thursday night in a plane crash near Grand County's Canyonlands Airport.

The Grand County Sheriff's Office first received a report of the crash at 8:19 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release about the incident.

Officials from the Grand County Sheriff's Office, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Moab Fire Department and Grand County Search and Rescue responded to the crash site, which was about 1.5 miles south of Canyonlands Airport, the news release said. The crash site is about 15 miles northwest of Moab.

Pilot Nathan D. Ryman, 46, and passenger Rani D. Derasary, 47, suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries, the news release said. The plane, a Cessna 170A was a complete loss.

Moab City councilwoman Rani Derasary

Derasary is a Moab City councilwoman.

The plane had departed from Canyonlands Airport at about 7:43 p.m., the news release said, and sudden shifts in wind speed and wind direction are believed to have contributed to the crash.

Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating the crash.

Watch FOX 13 News and fox13now.com for updates.