National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the fatal Nov. 14 plane crash in Provo that killed two men and left another seriously injured.

The report was released Thursday and states the surviving passenger told investigators he believed the pilots were attempting to avoid the Provo Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport airspace when flying into Slate Canyon.

The plane took off from the Spanish Fork Airport and was headed to the Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport in Driggs, Idaho. The crash occurred near Kyhv Peak in Slate Canyon at around 10 a.m.

Referencing Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast data, the report said the plane flew north and east of the Provo Airport shortly after takeoff into Slate Canyon. The surviving passenger said he was unable to discern the conversation between the pilot and co-pilot as to why they flew in the direction of the canyon.

The passenger also said they heard the plane’s stall warning horn before the aircraft crashed into the trees and he reported windy conditions in the canyon. The plane was found at an elevation of 7,900 feet on a slope of Slate Canyon about 2,000 feet below the summit.

The two men who were killed in the crash were identified by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office as Evan Backers, 26, and Collin Niemela, 23. Backers was from South Jordan and Niemela was from Santaquin.

The crash remains under investigation, and according to the report, the plane was recovered and moved to Phoneix for further examination.

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