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Posted: 1:25 PM- Two Wildlife Services trappers were killed in a single-engine plane crash this morning while doing predator-control work in Wayne County.
The two-seater plane, owned by the Utah Department of Agriculture, went down about 8:30 a.m. at Parker Mountain, outside the cities of Loa and Bicknell, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and state agriculture officials.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the wreck.
The men are federal employees who work with the state's agriculture department to control populations of predators that kill livestock and wildlife, said Kyle Stephens, deputy commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Trappers often shoot coyotes from helicopters and airplanes, flying low to the ground, Stephens said.
"Any time you're in this type of aircraft and flying low to the ground on hilly terrain, there's a higher degree of risk," Stephens said.
Wildlife Service did not release the names of the crash victims pending notification of family members.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office, Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The plane was a Husky A-1A, according to the FAA.