Buckeye plane crash ends with 2 people killed

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Two people have died after a plane went down in Buckeye, officials confirmed Saturday morning.

A Cessna plane crashed in the desert just northwest of Buckeye Municipal Airport near Interstate 10 and Palo Verde Road just before 7 a.m. on June 18.

Authorities say only two people were on board when the crash happened. One victim died at the scene, and the other victim died at the hospital from his injuries.

Authorities identified the victims as 56-year-old Daniel Keen and 32-year-old Emmanuel Flores.

The crash is under investigation.

‘Never seen anything like this’

"Never seen a fatality, and I've been out here a number of years, never seen anything like this," said Gary Boggs, who owns Northwest Sky Sports.

Boggs, who spends much of his time out of the airport, says he witnessed the crash.

He says the plane was on fire and the location of the plane had him wondering what exactly happened.

"An airplane flies [on] the downwind lane then turns, lines up with the runway - usually that is closer to the freeway," Boggs said. "These guys were well inside of the freeway, they weren't lined up with the runway."

Boggs says that about a dozen flights go in and out of the airport every day. Most of them are private planes, but some of them are students.

"Flight schools do a lot of practice out of our airport, it's not very busy," he said. "It's always sad to see a fatality. Aviation is really very safe, but it is unforgiving of mistakes."

The investigation has been turned over to the FAA.