Missing plane found in Morgan County, two passengers confirmed dead

MORGAN — Officials confirmed Friday that a man and a woman from Wyoming were killed in a plane crash near the Morgan County Airport.

The wreckage of the Cessna 210 flown by Daleray Madwell, 47, and Jennifer Sebesta, 35, was found approximately nine miles northeast of the airport around 11 a.m. in Cottonwood Canyon, Morgan County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Lee said. The crash site was located with the help of the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter.

Lee said it was unclear what caused the plane to crash, but an investigation is ongoing.

The single engine, high-wing airplane was en route from Morgan City to Douglas, Wyo. when it lost contact with air traffic control, according to Steve Miller, public affairs officer for the Utah wing of the Civil Air Patrol. The airplane was in "mountainous terrain" when it lost contact with air traffic controllers around 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office reported the plane took off at 6 p.m., but turned back and started sending off a distress signal before vanishing from radar.

Snowy weather conditions prevented the air patrol from putting a plane up to search Thursday, but the group aided the sheriff's office in a search on the ground and were able to get an airplane in the air Friday morning.

"Weather's been our biggest factor," Miller said. "Last night it was snowing and the clouds were really low."

Lee would not confirm whether weather played a part in the crash.

— Emiley Morgan, Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam