Utah man, Tucson girl dead in plane crash near Show Low airport, firefighters say

At least 1 dead in plane crash near Show Low airport

SHOW LOW, Ariz. - A plane crash near Show Low in Navajo County killed two people Wednesday night, said the Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District.

At around 4:40 p.m. on Dec. 22, a small, single-engine plane crashed near the Show Low Regional Airport in a remote area near Long Lake.

"On scene crews found the plane heavily damaged and fire has been extinguished. Show Low Police has secured the scene," the fire district said.

Two people were found dead inside the plane. They were identified as the pilot, 40-year-old David Gillette of Utah, and his 11-year-old passenger, Lorelai Johansen of Tucson.

Gillette’s hometown in Utah wasn’t immediately available and it wasn’t clear whether he and the girl were related, Chevalier said. They were the only people in the plane, and nobody on the ground was injured, Chevalier said.

He said the plane crashed on a bluff near the airport and that it wasn’t immediately known whether the crash occurred after a takeoff or before a landing.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived in Show Low Thursday to investigate the crash, Chevalier said.

Show Low is 130 miles (209 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.