Why plane crashed in Moab still unknown, NTSB says

A preliminary report into the plane crash outside Moab that killed 10 Cedar City residents last month reveals no details about what may have caused the tragic accident.

The report by the National Transportation Safety Board, released Friday, said after the Beech A100 crashed into the hilly terrain just a mile away from the Canyonlands Field Airport just after takeoff, the aircraft was mostly consumed by the post-impact fire.

"No evidence of an in-flight structural failure was found," the report stated.

Likewise, other pilots at the airport at the time the plane took off did not hear "any unusual sounds emanating from the engines" and noted "the takeoff sounded normal," according to the report.

The Aug. 22 crash killed the pilot and nine members of the Red Canyon Aesthetics and Medical Spa dermatology clinic. Once a month, the director of the clinic, Dr. Lansing Ellsworth, flew to Moab to see patients about their skin problems. He would fly out the same day.

Also killed were pilot David White, David Goddard, Mandy Johnson, Marcie Tillery, Valerie Imlay, Keith Shumway, Dallin Ellsworth, Camie Vigil and Cecilee Goddard. The plane was owned by The Leavitt Group Wings LLC.

Witnesses observed the nine clinic employees arrive at the airport with four plastic boxes and three silver cases, according to the report.

There were no witnesses to the crash. The preliminary investigation by NTSB officials showed the plane hit the upslope of a hill with the right wing low and the nose of the plane high. The plane came to rest on the downslope of the hill.

The NTSB will now have both engines and the propeller assemblies checked to look for more evidence into what may have caused the crash.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com

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