PAYSON, Utah — One person has died after a plane landed on Interstate 15 near Payson on Monday, causing a multi-vehicle crash that also injured several others. The two people on board the plane suffered no injuries.
Watch below as the Utah Highway Patrol discusses plane landing on I-15:
The plane, which was coming from Las Vegas, was flying above northbound I-15 at 8:15 p.m. when it experienced a mechanical failure leading to the engine quitting. At that point, the pilot and student pilot decided to attempt a highway landing near milepost 250.
“I know the closest airport to where this happened would be the Spanish Fork airport. I know they were considering that," Sgt. Brett Christensen with Utah Highway Patrol explained. "They were considering turning it back to Nephi. And ultimately they weren’t able to make either of those airports”
Although the plane successfully landed as several vehicles stopped in the lane of travel behind the plane, a Dodge pickup truck was unable to come to a stop and struck four other vehicles, pushing them into the plane.
Following the on-ground accident due to the landing, two people suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital, while two others were reported to have minor and moderate injuries.
On Tuesday afternoon, UHP said one of the people seriously injured had died overnight. He was later identified as 58-year-old Valdecir De Oliveira of Santaquin.
Another patient was classified as stable.
Traffic was diverted off the highway for approximately three hours as Utah Highway Patrol crews cleaned up the scene and removed the plane from the roadway, which reopened just before 11:30 p.m.
Olivia Carriloo, a barista at a coffee shop a few miles from where the plane landed, didn’t realize why the highway was blocked off until a coworker filled her in. She said she can’t help but feel worried about getting back on the highway.
“I’m definitely worried about dying because what if a plane lands, what if something happens, what if I get into a crazy crash? It makes you think, crazy things can happen all the time," said Carriloo.
The plane is now being held at a warehouse. The FAA and NTSB are handling the investigation into the plane's emergency landing.
Utah Highway Patrol says their troopers are investigating what led up to the crash following the landing. They add that there are no signs of impairment or distracted driving.
