Four killed in Zion plane crash were tour helicopter pilots
Four Las Vegas men who were killed in a Utah plane crash on Tuesday were identified on Friday.
Joshua Stubblefield, 31, Chris Spircu, 44, Paul Andrews, 32, and Todd Stuntzner, 45, died on Tuesday night when their single-engine plane crashed near Zion National Park, according to the Kane County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said Stubblefield was the pilot of the Cirrus SR20, which was registered to Las Vegas company Hunt Aviation. But his family said another member of the party was piloting the plane.
All four were tour group pilots for Las Vegas company Maverick Helicopters.
"We are deeply saddened by the news that we lost several members of our organization in a private airplane crash in Utah on Tuesday," Maverick spokesman Bryan Kroten wrote in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those lost and respect their request for privacy during this most difficult time."
The plane had departed from the North Las Vegas Airport about 10 a.m. Tuesday destined for Bryce Canyon, Utah.
They were reported missing by Hunt Aviation when they did not arrive in Utah, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Their bodies were discovered with the wreckage Wednesday morning.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
It was the second fatal plane crash in four days in southern Utah. A single-engine Cessna 172 crashed May 26 near the runway at St. George Municipal Airport. Four Utah men died in the crash.
