WEST JORDAN — A Cottonwood Heights man flying the airplane that pulls the Salt Lake Bees' banner died in a plane crash Saturday.
Quinn Michael Falk, 34, of Cottonwood Heights, was killed while he was taking off around 5 p.m. from the South Valley Regional Airport off of Airport Road in West Jordan, West Jordan Police Capt. Dan Gallagher said. He was flying a single-seat airplane of unknown model.
Witnesses at the scene watched Falk take off and fly between two flag bearers whohooked the banner onto the aircraft. Witnesses said the plane appeared to lose power, prompting Falk to release the banner in an attempt to stay in the air. But the plane fell from the sky, nosediving and bursting into flames.
From what witnesses told investigators, it appears a mechanical issue was the cause of the crash, and Gallagher indicated that the man died on impact.
Gallagher said he was told Falk was an experienced pilot with as many as 2,000 flying hours under his belt.
The man's mother, father, brother and girlfriend came to the scene after the man's body was removed, Gallagher said. As of Saturday, the sparse remnants of the plane were all that remained at the scene, and Gallagher said they planned on leaving the plane for a few days for further investigation.
Gallagher said investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are already working to determine the cause of the accident. The airport was closed for the bulk of the evening but would be reopened Sunday, Gallagher said.
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