PROVO, Utah, Jan. 3, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Provo City has identified the man killed Monday in a small plane crash at Provo Airport, along with the passengers who suffered injuries in the crash.
The pilot killed in the crash of the Embraer Phenom 300 was owner/operator Nathan Ricks, 62, of Alpine. The plane crashed at about 11:36 a.m., immediately after takeoff.
Ricks’ passengers were his wife, 56-year-old Joyce Ricks of Alpine; 51-year-old Brent Beardall of Sammamish, Washington; and 36-year-old Dane Margetts of Holladay, the Provo City statement says.
Nathan Ricks was killed instantly, the news release says. Beardall, seated next to Ricks, was taken to a local hospital with critical injuries, but is expected to recover.
Joyce Ricks and Margetts walked away from the accident with minor injuries, the Provo City statement says.
A Facebook friend posted that the group was flying to the Rose Bowl. Other friends posted tributes to Ricks’ skills as a businessman and mentor. According to his Linked page, Ricks was a leader in network marketing and “one of largest distributors in Nu Skin’s history.”
Investigation
“The NTSB, FAA, and representatives from the aircraft manufacturer are currently on-site evaluating the accident,” Provo’s statement says.
“The investigation is expected to extend into Wednesday, followed by cleanup of the crash site by airport personnel and a specialized aircraft recovery team that will ensure the wreckage is appropriately documented and preserved for further investigation.”
The accident occurred on Provo’s main runway, RW 13-31, causing only minor scrapes to the runway surface. Most of the damage to the airfield occurred east of RW 13-31 within the runway safety area, the news release says.
“As per FAA regulations, the runway safety area, including all signs and lighting, will need to be repaired prior to opening the airport to flight operations. It is anticipated that the clearance to open the airport will come no sooner than Thursday morning.
“The Provo Airport is working with its airline partners, Allegiant Air and Breeze Airways, to resume operations as quickly as possible.”
The city had earlier said the airport could open late Wednesday, so Thursday morning is an update.
