Missing plane located in Utah, 3 passengers found deceased
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RICHFIELD, Utah — Searchers in central Utah found the wreckage of a plane that matches the description of a missing aircraft that left Bakersfield, Calif., for Wyoming a week ago.
At approximately 9 a.m. Sunday, search-and-rescue teams located the plane wreckage in the mountains about 14 miles to the east of the Fillmore Airport in Richfield, Utah.
Officials from the Sevier County Sheriff's Office are not giving out many details about the crash, however, they have confirmed that the three people aboard the plane were killed.
The missing plane disappeared from radar Sunday shortly after making the refueling stop in Fillmore, Utah. It was en route from Bakersfield, Calif., back to Gillette, Wyo.
The pilot, 37-year-old Matthew Ahrens, his 34-year-old girlfriend Trista Meyer and her 9-year-old daughter Shyanne Lenz were all on board the plane.
Ahren's sister Donna told Eyewitness News in Bakersfield that Meyer texted her own sister in Gillette when they departed from the Fillmore airport, saying they would be there in three hours. That was the last time anyone would hear from those on the plane.
For the past week, search-and-rescue teams have been scouring the mountains of southern Utah, searching for any sign of life or wreckage.
Officials said that they found the plane in the mountains located on the Sevier and Miller county lines in very rough mountain terrain.
1. He was NOT over weight.
2. The weather was perfect in that area at that time.Â
3. He attempted to land and was not at "full power".Â
4. Clearly something went wrong.Â
5. The only three who will ever know what truly happened are the three that were there, it's no use in assuming.Â
Okay, so let's get this right, two adults, one child and a couple of dogs plus the females baggage. All in a 180hp Piper with full fuel and the gear welded down crossing mountain peaks and as I recall the weather was iffy at best. I think the NTSB will find that the engine was developing "Full" power which would not be too much at that pressure altitude. The decisions that are made in life often affect others.