The founder of a Utah-based ski tech company was killed Wednesday when the twin-engine plane he was piloting mysteriously nose-dived into a residential neighborhood just outside of Salt Lake City, officials said.
David Goode, founder and president of Goode Ski Technologies, took off at 3 p.m. from the airport in Bountiful and was expected to land at the airport in Ogden at 3:11 p.m.
But, just half a mile from the runway, Goode’s twin-engine Cessna crashed into a residential neighborhood 30 miles north of Salt Lake City, KSL-TV reported, citing Roy City Police Sgt. Matthew Gwynn.
People look at the debris from a small private plane that crashed in a residential area Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, in Roy, Utah. The small plane crashed Wednesday, killing the pilot as the aircraft narrowly avoided hitting any townhomes, authorities said. (Ben Dorger/Standard-Examiner, via AP)
One witness driving on Interstate 15 told the local station that Goode, 64, appeared to be “really struggling” just before the crash.
“I could tell that the pilot was really trying to straighten out and balance the plane,” Adam Hensley said.
He added that he saw the plane pitch sharply left before nose-diving near the interstate and exploding.
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The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Twitter that it would be investigating the crash but released no preliminary cause.
Firefighters and other investigators look at the debris from a small private plane that crashed in a residential area Wednesday, in Roy, Utah. The small plane crashed, killing the pilot as the aircraft narrowly avoided hitting any townhomes, authorities said. (Ben Dorger/Standard-Examiner via AP)
“We don’t know what went wrong,” Gwynn told The Salt Lake Tribune. “But it’s under investigation. It’s just very somber.”
Police said that no one else was injured in Wednesday’s crash but that debris from the plane landed on the roof of an unoccupied home.
Goode, an accomplished athlete, was the recipient of the 2014 USA Water Ski Hall of Fame Award of Distinction and a 2014 USA Water Ski Hall of Fame Award of Distinction recipient, Goode Skis said in a statement on Facebook.
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“Through his numerous technological advancements in both water skiing and snow skiing, and financial support of countless events and athletes in both sports, Dave touched the lives of thousands of people by helping them, and the sports they love, push the limits of performance,” the statement read.
Goode leaves behind his wife, Dawn, as well as children and grandchildren.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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