GRAND COUNTY, Utah, Dec. 13, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The pilot who died in a small plane crash near Moab on Monday morning has been identified.
Donald Kim Ruble, 65, of Moab, was killed after the single-engine Quest Kodiak 100 plane hit a high-powered electric line at 5:48 a.m., according to Grand County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Rick Bailey.
The plane then went down and caught fire on impact with the ground, Bailey said. Ruble was the only person on board.
Bailey said the plane, which is owned by Redtail Aviation, was contracted by UPS. The plane took off from Canyonlands Field Airport and was scheduled to make a stop in Price before landing in Salt Lake City. The crash occurred about a mile southwest of Canyonlands Field Airport, about 20 miles northwest of Moab.
Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Grand County Emergency Management, Grand County EMS, Moab Valley Fire District, Utah Highway Patrol, Bureau of Land Management Rangers as well as personnel from the Canyonlands Field Airport all responded to the scene.
A 911 call was received by Grand County Sheriff’s dispatch from a traveler who saw the incident.
Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are on site Tuesday to begin their investigations.
