Plane crashes on take-off at Hidden Splendor

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A call came into Emery County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 1:36 p.m. on Saturday reporting that a Cessna 182 airplane had crashed during take-off from the Hidden Splendor air strip in Emery County.
The dirt airstrip is located in a remote area of the San Rafael Desert, west of SR-24.
As the plane was taking off, it was caught in a crosswind which carried the plane off the airstrip, clipping one wing and throwing the plane over the edge of a deep wash. The two men aboard, ages 55 and 60, were not injured. Both men are from Scottsdale, Arizona, and were on a trip visiting famous remote airstrips in the region.
Emery County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue personnel responded. The FAA was notified and will conduct an investigation.
Sgt. Les Wilberg said the plane circled the area and landed at Hidden Splendor. They checked out the area and then prepared to take-off. The plane hit a bump in the runway and caught a crosswind and then the right wing hit. The plane went down a 15 foot embankment backwards where the nose and both tires dug in preventing it from going further down. A storm hit the area right after the plane crashed. The two men sought shelter in a tent trailer parked there. One of the men was able to text a family member in Arizona and they called the dispatch alerting them to the accident. Wade Allinson and James Byars from the Emery County search and rescue were the first on the scene and confirmed the two men on the plane were uninjured. Sgt. Wilberg and Detective Jarod Curtis conducted an investigation which will be followed up by the FAA. BLM officials also came to the area to check out the crash scene to make sure fuel wasn’t leaking from the plane. The pilot said there were 38 gallons of fuel left on the plane and none was leaking.
Sgt. Wilberg said he believes the plane can be taken from the area by wrecker. The two men involved were shuttled into Green River for the night. Family members flew into the area and took the men back to Arizona. The plane was a total loss. David Lindgren and David Reynolds were the men involved in the crash.