SPANISH FORK — An experimental plane, heralded as revolutionary, crashed during takeoff Tuesday afternoon, killing both the pilot and co-pilot.
Glenn Maben, Spectrum Aeronautical LLC's director of flight operations, and Nathan Forrest, vice director, were killed in the crash.
The two were testing a lightweight aircraft, the Spectrum 33, at the Spanish Fork Airport about 4 p.m.
The jet had lifted a few feet off the ground about halfway down the runway when the right wing dipped, clipping the ground. The plane flipped, cartwheeling on its wings off the runway and into a field.
The accident scattered debris from the plane across the runway and into the adjacent field.
"It would have been very hard to survive that kind of crash," Spanish Fork Police Lt. Carl Johnson said.
The plane stirred up a large dust cloud when it struck the ground, causing many onlookers to believe the plane had burst into flames. Investigators determined later that while the plane did not catch fire, it did spill a large amount of jet fuel onto the runway.
The plane's tank carries 180 gallons of fuel. The exact amount spilled is unknown.
The airport was closed after the crash.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both the pilot and co-pilot," said Scott Wood, a Rocky Mountain Composites Inc. corporate officer who is heading the company's accident response team, reading from a written statement from the company.
Mark Jones, vice president of Spectrum Aeronautical, stood next to Wood at a press conference held Tuesday night at Rocky Mountain's business offices in Spanish Fork.
"We have activated our accident response team and are working with investigative authorities to determine the cause of the accident," Wood said.
The Spectrum 33, a twin-engine jet, made its public debut earlier this month. Its Utah County creators hoped the plane would revolutionize the aviation industry.
The aircraft's body is composed of a solid piece of composite carbon fiber, as opposed to comparable jets made from various metals.
It is also about 6,000 pounds lighter than its competitors and was projected to use about 40 to 50 percent less fuel than other small business jets in the same class.
The crashed aircraft was a one-of-a-kind test plane. No others have been built.
"It was a test flight. We've had many test flights. I don't know what went wrong with this one," Austin Blue, president of Spectrum Aeronautical, based in Cardiff by the Sea, Calif., told the Associated Press. "Glenn and Nathan were two of the finest gentlemen and pilots. Their loss is a great tragedy."
The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Utah County Sheriff's Office, Orem Hazardous Materials teams, Spanish Fork Police and Fire Departments, and the Environmental Protection Agency were called in to investigate the accident.
Johnson said the EPA is still investigating whether teams need to clean the spilled fuel or if it will evaporate on its own.
Spectrum employs about 80 people in Spanish Fork, south of Provo. Blue said it was too early to know the impact on future production.
Contributing: Associated Press
E-mail: alinford@desnews.com