The pilot, Duane Youd, died, while his wife and a young boy, who were in the home, survived the attack, even though the two-story house caught fire, according to Payson police Sergeant Noemi Sandoval.
On Sunday evening, Youd was booked into the Utah County Jail for assaulting his wife at American Fork Canyon, where the couple had been drinking and talking about problems they were facing.
He made bail Sunday night and went home to pick up his belongings with an officer. At around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, he flew a twin-engine Cessna 525 into the house, according to reports.
The plane belonged to an unidentified company for which Youd was a pilot, law enforcement officials said.
"But he is an experienced pilot, and he flew from Spanish Fork Airport directly here into the home," Sandoval said.
"The house was fully engulfed, so there really wasn't the ability to render any aid to the pilot," Sandoval said, adding that the fact that the wife and the boy managed to exit the house safely "was a miracle," USA Today reported Monday. It is unknown if the child in the house is related to Youd or his wife.
Photos of the house show the white plane in pieces in the front yard, near a crushed car. Although the plane missed power lines and homes, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the incident.
According to reports, online court records show that last month Youd agreed to attend marriage and family counselling sessions for six months as part of a plea agreement. He was charged with disorderly conduct in an April 8 domestic violence incident.
