911 calls released in plane crash

WEST CANYON, Utah County — In newly released 911 calls, witnesses who saw a small biplane wreck here Tuesday described the plane performing aerobatic maneuvers before it crashed into a grove of dead trees.

Meanwhile, officials believe they have confirmed the identities of the two people killed in Tuesday's crash but are still waiting for confirmation from the state medical examiner's office before releasing the names.

Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Tom Hodgson said the names most likely will be released Thursday morning.

Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, a small biplane crashed north of Cedar Fort at the base of the Oquirrh mountains and burst into flames, Hodgson said.

Richard Hawkins and a friend were hunting pheasants about a mile east of the Oquirrh Mountains near West Canyon when the accident happened. In a recording of a 911 call that was released Wednesday, he describes what he saw to dispatchers.

"The plane just went in," he said. "It's burning. ... You better send a fire truck along with an ambulance."

"Did you see what happened?" the dispatcher asked.

"Well, the plane was doing aerobatics and it went in," he said.

"Can you still see the smoke still coming up?" the dispatcher asked.

"Oh, yes," he replied.

Nearly 45 officers and investigators from Saratoga Springs, Cedar Fort, Eagle Mountain and Utah County fire departments, as well as the Utah County Sheriff's Office and state medical examiner were on scene Tuesday.

Most of the plane's debris was consumed in the fire. Investigators sifted through the dead trees and smoldering rubble 300 yards in each direction looking for any information about the small blue-and-white plane.

Officials have confirmed the plane took off from Airport 2 in Salt Lake County.

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