The bodies of two men who died in a plane crash in a swampy area six miles northwest of the Ogden-Hinckley Airport were recovered Thursday night.
The pilot, Troy Lincoln, 35, was a flight instructor from South Ogden. His passenger, Stan Holt, 37, was an aviation mechanic from Roy.
Both men were in a 1985 stunt biplane. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were expected to arrive Friday to investigate the cause of the crash.
"We found the plane had gone straight into the ground, like a nose dive," Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Klint Anderson said. "They were obviously killed on impact."
The men took off from Ogden about 3 p.m. Thursday and were due back at 5, Anderson said.
About 6 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration notified Ogden air traffic controllers a satellite had detected the plane's emergency locator transponder, Anderson said.
The plane was found in a muddy, marshy area west of Plain City known as the Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area, Anderson said. The location made it difficult to recover the bodies. Deputies had to use ATVs to get to the crash site.
"The area is common to student or veteran pilots," Anderson said. "It's a practice area. An area you go to refine maneuvers and hone skills."
E-MAIL: lhancock@desnews.com