Two people died and a third was critically injured in a plane crash near Hatch, police reported on Wednesday.

The plane, a single engine Aero Commander 200 D, went down about 5:12 a.m. Tuesday just south of Hatch.

Pilot George Gautier, 49, of Hatch, and passenger Michael Hansen, 34, of Lehi, were believed to have died on impact. A second passenger, Alexander Walton, 35, of Alpine, was taken to Garfield Memorial Hospital then flown by helicopter to LDS Hospital, where he was in critical condition Wednesday.

It was not known what caused the accident but according to the Garfield County sheriff's office, a witness reported hearing a plane with a "sputtering" and "spitting" shortly before the crash.

The witness is an employee at Cherokee Springs Golf Course, where the three men were headed.

The accident on Wednesday remained under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation and Safety Board.