PROVO, Utah — Officials identified the person who died Monday in a private plane crash at the Provo Airport as the pilot of the aircraft, 62-year-old Nathan Ricks of Alpine.
Ricks was a retired executive of Provo-based company Nu Skin, and the company wrote that “his influence continues to be felt by Nu Skin teams around the world.”
Jeff Mack worked at Nu Skin with Ricks and has known him for 35 years. He said Ricks was so goal-oriented he would plan his life backwards.
“’What do I look like at 90? What have I achieved? What is my family life? What is my net worth? What kind of person am I? What kind of impact did I have?’” he said.
Mack watched as Ricks’ speeches inspired thousands across the globe. Since the announcement of his death, hundreds have posted tributes and words of condolences for his family.
“He would share his expertise but at the same time he was somebody approachable,” said Martha Sanchez, one of his many mentees near Washington D.C.
“He became a dear friend to many of us long after he could’ve just been a legend from afar,” said Artemis Limpert, another mentee in Dallas.
Provo City officials said the private jet crashed "immediately after takeoff" around 11:35 a.m.
Ricks died on the runway.
“It’s just…nobody knows what happened,” said Provo Airport director Brian Torgersen. “Immediately after takeoff, something occurred to cause the aircraft to lose control.”
“I’ve flown in the co-pilot seat many times with him,” said Mack. “There’s no one better.”
The co-pilot on the flight, Brent Beardall, 51, of Sammamish, Washington, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, but is expected to survive, city officials reported.
Ricks’ wife, Joyce, and 36-year-old Dane Margetts of Holladay were also passengers in the plane. They both walked away with minor injuries.
Ricks leaves behind Joyce, four daughters, and 15 grandchildren.
“We were there with [Joyce] today and she’s just dialed in. She’s got her family around her and she’s handling it as well as anybody can handle it,” said Mack.
Mack described Rick as a “legend” with undeniable success. But there’s no greater success than a life full of family and friendship.
“He was there when I lost my son eight years ago,” he said. “When you’re so exposed like that, you’re so broken. There’s no repair and someone’s there beside you having your back. That’s a brother.”
Rick’s family released a statement, writing, "We are sincerely grateful for the outpouring of love from our friends, neighbors, and community following Nathan’s passing. We lost a beloved husband, father, mentor, friend, and leader," the Ricks family said in a statement. "He loved life to the fullest, especially the wonderful people around the world that touched his life and he theirs through his business pursuits. He loved Utah and was all-in on making it a better place to live, work, and play for his grandkids and Utahns alike."
The Provo Airport’s been shut down since the crash, and city officials said it will remain closed as the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board conduct a full investigation.
City officials predict the airport will open “no sooner than Thursday morning.”
"We recognize the significant impact this creates for our airline customers, as well as the general aviation and corporate aviation community," a statement from the airport reads. "Our priority is to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the investigation process may take several days to complete.”
Part of the investigation and clean-up processes include repairing all signs and lighting in the runway safety area, which is where most of the damage occurred. Although the crash happened on the main runway, it only caused minor scrapes to the runway surface.
The airport director can’t recall the last time there was a fatal crash there. He said the last death had to have occurred over a decade ago.
