SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KXAN) – Authorities say three Utah men are dead in a plane crash in Lamar County, Texas.

The crash occurred Saturday morning shortly after their Piper PA-46 plane took off from an airport near Paris, Texas.

According to FlightAware.com , the single-engine aircraft left from Cox Field in Paris at 8:50 a.m, the plane was headed for Austin.

The Deseret News says the Texas Department of Public Safety identified the men as 50-year-old Michael Endo, 44-year-old Michael Dale Bradley, and 49-year-old Rob Thompson.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that all three worked for Utah-based Celtic Bank.

In a statement, Bank CEO Reese Howell Jr. says “This is a challenging and difficult time for the entire Celtic Bank family.”

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. The Public Safety Departments says it was reportedly foggy and the plane was headed south before it attempted to turn back toward the airport and descended rapidly and crashed.

The FAA didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press for comment.
 

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