The wife of a Utah man who flew a small plane into their home has said she will 'never understand' what was going through her husband's head at the time of the deadly crash.

Sandy Youd and her adult son managed to escape the flames that engulfed their family home in Payson, Utah, killing her husband Duane 'Rhedd' Youd, 47, on Monday.

Sandy spoke out about the shocking crash on Thursday, revealing that she is still searching for answers as to why the 'fantastic' father would intentionally crash into the home, knowing that his wife and child were inside.

'I don't know what was in his head,' she told the Deseret News. 'I don't understand why and I never will.'

Sandy described her husband's actions as 'completely unexpected', telling local media: 'I just want people to know what a fantastic guy that Rhedd was.'

Sandy Youd has said she will never understand what was going through her husband Duane 'Rhedd' Youd's head when he allegedly intentionally flew a plane into their family home in Payson, Utah on Monday, knowing that she and her adult son were inside

Sandy described Rhedd, who died in the crash around 3am Monday morning, as a 'fantastic guy' whose actions were 'completely unexpected'

Police say Rhedd was an experienced pilot who intentionally flew the small plane into his own home, which was immediately engulfed in flames. The wreckage is shown above

The couple's children have said that their parents had been going through a rough patch in their marriage, which escalated dramatically the day before the plane crash.

Police say the couple, who had been drinking, went for a drive in American Fork Canyon on Sunday morning to talk.

Rhedd reportedly became increasingly agitated and started screaming and yelling at Sandy before pulling her out of the cab and attempting to leave her on the side of the road.

Sandy then jumped into the truck bed because she 'just wanted to go home', and Rhedd proceeded to drive down the canyon repeatedly slamming on the breaks, knocking his wife around in the back, according to an official report.

Rhedd, 47, has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence hours before the crash after an altercation with Sandy on Sunday evening. His mugshot is pictured above

Rhedd tried to throw her out a second time, and as Sandy reached into the cab to grab her purse, he allegedly punched her from behind.

When she turned around Rhedd reportedly began slamming his forehead into Sandy's face as she scratched and clawed his face.

Several passers-by soon noticed the fight and came to Sandy's aid before calling police around 7.30pm.

Rhedd bailed out of jail hours later and requested an officer escort to go to his home so he could get his truck and some belongings around midnight. That occurred without incident, Payson police Sgt Noemi Sandoval said.

Soon after, Rhedd reportedly drove to Spanish Fork Airport and took a Cessna Citation 525 plane that belonged to the company he worked for as a pilot.

Just before 3am Monday, he crashed the plane into the front of the two-story home 15 miles from the airport, knowing his wife and adult son were sleeping inside.

Photos of the wreckage showed the white plane charred and in pieces in the front yard nearby an overturned and crushed car. Most of the upscale house was still intact, but heavily burned in the front.

The couple had gotten into a physical altercation the day before the crash, authorities say

The couple's children Joslyn Youd, 21, center, and her brother Parker Youd, 17, said Monday that their parents had been going through a rough patch in their marriage

Emergency personnel work at the scene on the morning after the crash in Payson

The aviation community in the small town 65 miles south of Salt Lake City has also expressed shock over the father's actions.

Rhedd's manager at Spanish Fork Airport, Cris Child, said his conduct was always 'above exemplary.'

'He was an extremely talented pilot and did his job well,' he said. 'He was a trusted member of the airport community.'

As a corporate pilot for VanCon, Rhedd had 24/7 access to the airplane involved in the crash, which was housed in a locked hangar with a digital access code.

Child said that he didn't think there was anything that could have been done to prevent the crash.

'If there could have been any intervention, we certainly would have liked that opportunity,' he said.

A VanCon spokeswoman said the company is cooperating with authorities investigating the incident but refused to provide any further comment.

Joslyn gets a hug from her aunt Nikki Ewell outside her damaged house after the crash

Federal Aviation Administration officials investigate the scene of a plane crash on Monday

Police had responded one previous time to the house on a domestic violence incident, Sandoval said.

Online court records show that Youd agreed on July 23 to attend marriage and family counselling sessions for six months as part of a plea agreement following an April 8 domestic violence incident in which he was charged with disorderly conduct.

In 2008, Youd, who has a 17-year-old son, Parker, earned a bachelor's degree from Utah Valley University where he studied Professional Aeronautical Science.

Sandy works as a real estate agent. She previously worked as a bus driver for the Nebo School District.

Photos of the wreckage showed the white plane charred and in pieces in the front yard nearby an overturned and crushed car