MESA, Ariz. -- A small plane crash near the town of St. Johns has claimed the life of a Mesa man while seriously injuring two passengers, authorities said.

Douglas C. Kinneard, 48, was the pilot of a Cardinal Cessna that struck a utility power line before crashing into a woodpile in a residential neighborhood in St. Johns Saturday, according to City Manager Greg Martin.

Kinneard died from his injuries Sunday, authorities said.

Family members said Christian Nielson, a licensed pilot, and his wife, Stephanie Nielson, are in critical condition at the Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.

The parents of four young children, Stephanie Nelson has burns over 80 percent of her body; her husband is burned over 30 percent of his, family members told The Arizona Republic.

"We want prayers. We could use all the prayers we could get for them and their children," said Courtney Kendrick, Stephanie's sister.

Stephanie's family flew in from Utah to care for their daughter and her four children, ages 2 -6 years old.

"It'll be a long time before [the children] get to see their parents again, but through family and friends we're going to fill in there," said Cindy Clark, Stephanie's mother.

The Nielsons were flying back to Mesa from Grants, N.M., where they were on a weekend trip to a ranch Christian's family owns in the area.

Gary Platt, a worker at the airport, said the plane stopped for fuel and made its takeoff attempt around 3:45 p.m. Saturday.

Platt said witnesses said the plane wasn't able to gain much altitude before its right wing dropped, rolled and made a nosedive into the ground.

"People said the three in the plane struggled to get out and when they did they were running with their clothing on fire," Platt said.

Matt Hale, a relative of the pilot who lives in Utah, confirmed that Kinneard died Sunday night at the hospital.

The crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. The site of the crash is about 18 miles west of the Arizona-New Mexico border.