Pilot sustains ‘severe’ injuries after ultralight plane crash in Escalante

According to Wade Mathews with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 12:30 p.m. Friday. A pilot in an ultralight plane took off from the Escalante Airport.

Shortly after takeoff, the ultralight plane crashed on the east end of the airport. The pilot sustained “severe injuries,” fracturing both legs and one of his arms.

He was airlifted to the St. George Regional Hospital. Mathews says the sheriff’s office is not releasing the identity of the pilot.

Ultralight planes are not Federal Aviation Administration-regulated, so there will not be an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.