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Show 3 residents killed in plane, auto accidents j By GARY R. BLODGETT Three north Davis County residents resi-dents were killed in accidents over the weekend two in an airplane crash east of Ogden and one in a one-car rollover on Interstate Highway High-way 15 south of Cedar City. Killed instantly in the plane crash were John A. Prindle, 29, of 1696 N. 400 W., Layton, and his wife, Karen, 26. An 18-year-old Clear field man, Darren Cutler, was the driver in a vehicle that rolled off the Cedar City on-ramp of 1-15 about 1:15 p.m. Saturday. He was killed instantly. The plane that crashed about three miles east of Powder Mountain Moun-tain Ski Resort in Ogden Valley was piloted by Mr. Prindle, a Hill Air Force Base airman who had recently recent-ly obtained his license after several months of training. The Federal Aviation Adminis- I tration (FAA) is investigating the possibility that the small Cessna 152 which the couple had rented i from Ogden Municipal Airport may I have been caught in a downdraft of the canyon in which they crashed. Airport control tower employees on duty said they did not receive a distress call or any other warning' O CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 if 3 killed in mishaps O CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 from the pilot. They said the pilot, who was well-known around the airport, did not file a flight plan but said he and a passenger would be flying east up North Ogden Canyon and "would return in a couple of hours." Even after the plane crashed, the wreckage was not discovered for several hours because Weber County Fire Department firemen were battling a blaze started by the plane crash in a nearby valley. Firemen, Fire-men, however, were not aware that the 20-acre blaze they were battling was caused by the plane crash until they moved onto the opposite side of the ridge to combat a smaller blaze. At that time, according to Weber County Chief Sheriff Deputy Sam Vander Heide, fire fighters saw the wreckage of the plane and the badly burned bodies of the two occupants. occu-pants. Simultaneously, he said, the Sheriffs Department was notified that a private aircraft was overdue at the Ogden Airport and the wreckage may be that of the missing mis-sing plane. Charred camera equipment indicated indi-cated that the couple may have been flying low in the canyon areas photographing wildlife or the bright autumn leaves, according to the sheriffs deputy. He said the debris was scattered over a wide area and at least two brush fires were started from the burning part of the aircraft. The Clearfield youth was killed when the auto he was driving went out of control on the Cedar City on-ramp and rolled once, ejecting Cutler and a passenger from the vehicle. Injured in the accident was Michelle Stevens, also of Clearfield, Clear-field, who suffered a fractured pelvis pel-vis and numerous cuts and bruises. Neither of he occupants was wearing a seat belt, according to Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Russell Rus-sell Lee, who investigated. |