Small plane crashes near Lake Mead’s Echo Bay, killing 2

By Ian Whitaker, Las Vegas Sun

Published Thursday, June 12, 2014 | 10:30 p.m.

Updated Thursday, June 12, 2014 | 10:55 p.m.

Two people died in a plane crash ​Thursday night near Echo Bay Airport at the north end of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Clark County fire officials said.

Volunteer firefighters initially searched for the occupants of the small "two-seater" plane at the scene, according to county Deputy Fire Chief Jon Klassen, but later realized that the deceased were still inside the cabin. They had checked the inside of the plane when they arrived, Klassen said, but didn't realize there were human remains.

"The volunteers didn't know what they were looking at because there wasn't that much to see," Klassen said. The deceased have yet to be identified.

A fire at the scene has been put out by firefighters, and more crews are on their way, Klassen said. Emergency responders from the National Park Service, Metro Police Search & Rescue and Clark County Fire Department are at the scene, according to a release from the Park Service. Lake Mead officials first received a call about the crash at 8:57 p.m.