Deceased Classmate: Brent Simmons
Date Of Birth: april -22-1971
Date Deceased: oct-4-2011
Age at Death: 40
Cause of Death: crashed in a airplane in west jordan
Classmate City: SPANISH FORK
Classmate State: UT
Classmate Country: USA
Survived By: Cindy simmons, Matt Bashaw, Nate Bashaw, Niki Bashaw

FROM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, October 5, 2011

Tuesday’s light airplane crash in West Jordan has claimed its second victim, in what city and airport officials are calling an isolated incident despite another crash three weeks ago.

Jared Despain, the aircraft’s 28-year-old pilot, died of massive injuries early Wednesday afternoon, West Jordan police Sgt. Drew Sanders confirmed. The plane’s only passenger, 40-year-old Brent Simmons of Manti, died at the scene Tuesday, when the plane crashed in a soccer field near 7900 South and 4340 West.

Jerry Simmons said Wednesday night that his brother had wanted to fly for more than 20 years and had talked previously about purchasing a plane. Jerry Simmons said Brent had purchased the plane earlier in the day and planned to get flight instruction and eventually his license. He said the two men knew each other, and Jared Despain, who was a flight instructor, was trying to move the plane closer to the flight school Brent had selected when the crash occurred.

"It’s hard to sum up a person," Jerry Simmons said of his brother, a cabinetmaker, who was passionate, generous, loving and forgiving of those who slighted him.

"Generally a good Samaritan," he said.

He said he hopes investigators can find answers about what caused the crash and said he’s heard speculation that maybe the plane was to blame.

It was the second plane crash in West Jordan in the past month. On Sept. 15, another small plane went down within feet of the city’s Columbia Elementary School, 3505 W. 7800 South. The plane’s pilot and his dog died in the crash but no students were injured.

Despain had just taken off from the South Valley Regional Airport, 7536 South 4470 West. The plane that crashed Sept. 15 was attempting to land at the airport.

Brent was very loved by his family and will be missed. He was a very experienced wood worker who had his shop in manti ut. plaese leave thoughts on his face book page thanks