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Four plane crashes near Ogden-Hinckley Airport since 2017

Posted at 10:14 PM, Jan 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-16 00:14:59-05

WEBER COUNTY, Utah — A small plane crashed into a Weber County neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, leaving a 64-year-old pilot dead.

This isn't the first time a plane has crashed in the area. This marks the fourth plane crash in the area since 2017.

FOX 13 spoke with the Airport Manager for the City of Ogden to discuss local people's concerns. Many people have expressed their worry about the series of plane crashes.

“We do 112,000 operations a year. 10,000 a month. And we have had four, so I mean, just do the math. Everybody just gets caught up in the fact that its a plane crash, because they don’t happen very often," he said.

An average of one small plane crash per year is pretty normal, Garrett said. He has been working around planes for more than 30 years.

“There are just so many things that can happen between the pilot and the aircraft and the weather and all the circumstances," he said.

Ogden-Hinckley Airport's runway is around 8,100 feet, Garrett said and likely will remain that length.

"I don’t see extending past airport current property being really a possibility," he said. One of the main reasons Garrett pointed out was the airport's location near a major intersection and housing developments.

The location is another reason, Garrett said, the crashes are so visible. Other smaller airports can have crashes with no injuries in a field, the plane is towed out and no one knows.

“If you look at Google Earth and you just look at what surrounds the airport, it’s not like you could have a crash and nobody knows about it," he said.

The airport is also very busy, Garrett said.

“We are a busy GA airport and most of the other general aviation airports in the state, they aren’t doing as many operations as we are," he said.

The runway is plenty long, Garrett assured FOX 13.

“At this altitude, especially in the winter months, it’s plenty long. We’ve got an 8100 foot runway," he said.

Small planes are more dangerous than commercial planes but still safer than diver, Garrett said.

“The most dangerous part of flying is driving to the airport," he said.

Garrett expressed his sorrow for all the families of the plane crash victims and the victims themselves.

Here is the timeline of crashes:

Jan. 2020- Pilot killed after crashing into a townhouse in Roy.

Nov. 2019- Two people were seriously injured after crashing between I-15 and I-84.

July 2017- Four people were killed after a small plane crashed on 1-15 near Riverdale Rd. in Weber County.

Sept. 2017- Pilot and driver suffered minor injuries after a plane hits car near 1900 West at 4500 South.