Two people were on board a small plane that went down late at night near Payson, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Their conditions were unknown.
A Glasair Sportsman 2+2 crashed about 11:05 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Steve Kulm.
The crash happened near Pine in a remote area, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators were continuing to gather information, according to Jennifer Gabris, spokesperson for the agency.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified Aug. 10 of a possible downed aircraft west of Polles Mesa in the Mazatzal Wilderness.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office sent a helicopter to help locate the crash site, the Gila County Sheriff's Office said. Because of rugged terrain, a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was helping to take deputies to the site on Aug. 11 for an initial investigation, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office.
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At about 3 p.m., the occupants of the plane were identified as Brad Lawrence, 75, and Carter Buckner, 19, both residents of Payson, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office. Hundreds of people expressed their condolences on Facebook although the Gila County Sheriff's Office had not yet confirmed if the two had died, as of late Tuesday afternoon.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating, with NTSB providing any future updates, FAA spokesperson Kulm said.
It was not known what caused the plane to crash.
