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Small plane crashes in Utah Lake, killing two men, police say

PROVO — A small plane crashed into Utah Lake Friday morning, killing the two men inside.

Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff's Office said the single-engine plane crashed shortly after 10 a.m. about a half-mile northwest of the Provo airport. Cannon said the plane had been cleared to land there.

The sheriff's office said Michael Hyrum Cox, 44, of St. George, and Mark Andrew Johnson, 46, of Washington, Utah, were missing for several hours but were found dead in the plane's wreckage.

The office believes Cox was the plane's pilot and Johnson was the passenger. Both bodies will be turned over to the state medical examiner.

“In this case, anyone who saw the crash would think that there was no way anyone survived, that it was a serious crash that caused significant damage to the aircraft,” Spencer said.

Officials still weren't sure why the plane crashed. Aside from the fact that the plane was cleared to land, it was unknown whether the pilot may have communicated with the airport tower before impact.

The sheriff's office said witnesses were on the water in boats at the time of the accident and investigators contacted them afterward. However, it was unclear at the sheriff's office who made the 911 call, whether it was a witness on a boat or possibly airport personnel.

Shortly before 11 a.m., Chief Jess Campbell of Saratoga Springs Fire and Rescue said the plane was in about eight feet of water and crews were working in the debris.

Divers in Utah Lake search for the remains of the plane crash on September 27, 2024. (Chopper 5)

Sergeant. Garrett Dutson of the Utah County Sheriff's Office said rescue teams were trying to pull the plane up.

“There's so much mud and dirt at Utah Lake that you can't see very far. Even in this daylight, when you go into the water, you can’t see your hand in front of you,” Dutson told KSL TV. “So that's the problem they're having, and that's why they brought the barge in to try to pull the plane up.”

“The pilot or the occupants were in hiding for an extended period of time. The likelihood of someone being viable decreases,” Campbell said.

Utah Lake State Park was closed during the investigation, which the sheriff's office said involved “quite a few investigators,” including the sheriff's office, Utah Highway Patrol, Saratoga Springs Fire Department, a dive team and Provo Search and Rescue.

The sheriff's office said the main reason for the closure was safety concerns.

“Debris in particular will be blown up and I know they are trying to secure that. There could also be a fuel leak, so they need to be aware of that before rescuing people on board,” said Sgt. Garrett Dutson with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

This is breaking news. It may be updated as more information becomes available.

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