Fatal plane crash at Palisades Reservoir caught on camera

IDAHO FALLS – The pilot who crashed in the Palisades Reservoir Thursday afternoon is dead.

It happened a little after 5 p.m. near Alpine, Wyoming, according to Sgt. Bryan Lovell with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. The 53-year-old man from California crashed while practicing aerobatic maneuvers. He was the only person on the plane.

Boaters in the area reportedly saw what happened and began life saving measures until they reached first responders at the shoreline.

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Star Valley EMS took the pilot to Star Valley Hospital, where he died. His name is not being released until his family and friends have been notified.

Details from the Federal Aviation Administration’s website indicate the crash was an “accident” and the “aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.”

Bonneville County deputies are working with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board in the investigation. They’re asking the public to avoid the area for the foreseeable future.

Emergency personnel from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming responded, along with its search and rescue team. Star Valley EMS, Idaho Falls Ambulance, and Idaho State Police also assisted.

A bystander caught the crash on camera, which you can watch below.