Latest news with #WestYellowstoneAirport
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Smartwatch led rescuers to fatal plane crash in Montana woods
The dense forests near West Yellowstone, Montana, concealed the wreckage of a small plane until an unlikely beacon — a smartwatch worn by one of the victims — helped search-and-rescue crews locate the crash site, officials said Monday. Responding crews found all three people aboard the aircraft dead, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The victims were Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, both of Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah, according to the office. The plane departed from West Yellowstone Airport on Thursday, just before midnight, but never reached its destination, the sheriff's office said. On Friday afternoon, West Yellowstone Dispatch received a call from the US Department of Tranportation's Aero Division alerting local authorities that the aircraft's location was unknown. Minutes later, two planes were sent to search for the missing aircraft and, guided by location data from a smartwatch worn by one of the passengers, found the crash site just south of the town of West Yellowstone, the sheriff's office said. The search planes spotted the wreckage from air, describing it as 'crashed in dense timber,' the office said. Ground crews navigated the rugged wilderness to reach the site. Responders confirmed all three occupants had died. Their remains were airlifted and turned over to the county coroner. The aircraft was a version of the Piper Cherokee, a small, single-engine plane, according to the accident notice for the crash in the Federal Aviation Administration's aviation safety database. It was carrying two crew members and one passenger, the report shows. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. CNN has reached out to both agencies for comment. Weather in the area at the time included gusty winds and chilly overnight temperatures. Sheriff Dan Springer extended his 'deepest condolences' to the victims' families.
Cedar News
22-07-2025
- General
- Cedar News
Montana Plane Crash: Smartwatch Helps Locate Downed Aircraft, All 3 On Board Dead
A smartwatch led search crews to the site of a Montana plane crash that killed three people after departing West Yellowstone Airport, officials said. Montana Plane Crash: Smartwatch Leads Crews to Fatal Crash Site A Montana plane crash claimed the lives of all three people on board after a small aircraft went down in a densely wooded area south of West Yellowstone, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Monday. Remarkably, location data from a victim's smartwatch helped search-and-rescue crews locate the wreckage. All Three On Board Killed in Montana Plane Crash Authorities identified the victims as Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, both of Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. They were aboard a small plane that departed West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday. When the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, the U.S. Transportation Department's Aero Division alerted local agencies that its location was unknown. Smartwatch Played Key Role in Locating Crash Site Rescue efforts took a critical turn after teams accessed location data from a smartwatch worn by one of the victims. This data pointed them to the crash site in remote forestland. Two planes deployed in the search helped locate the site from the air, but ground crews had to navigate through dense timber to reach it. Piper Cherokee Variant Involved in Montana Plane Crash The aircraft involved in the Montana plane crash was a Piper Cherokee variant — a small, single-engine plane. The FAA's aviation safety database lists it as carrying two crew members and one passenger. Ground teams confirmed all three people on board were deceased. Their remains were extracted and flown by helicopter to authorities, where they were turned over to a Gallatin County deputy coroner. Investigation Underway Into Cause of Montana Plane Crash The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into what caused the crash. Weather conditions in the area recently included wind gusts of up to 20 mph and cold overnight temperatures. Sheriff Dan Springer extended his 'deepest condolences' to the families of the victims.
NBC News
22-07-2025
- General
- NBC News
Smartwatch leads search and rescue crews to site of fatal plane crash in Montana
A victim's smartwatch helped search and rescue crews locate a plane that went down in dense woods in Montana, a local sheriff's office said Monday. Responding crews found all three people on board dead, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. They were identified as Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, of Tennessee; and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah, according to the office. The plane they were in departed from West Yellowstone Airport on Thursday just before midnight, the office said. The U.S. Department of Transportation Aero Division alerted local authorities that the aircraft's location was unknown, it said. Search and rescue crews gained access to location information on a smartwatch worn by one of the three, leading them to the remote crash site south of West Yellowstone on Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office said. Two planes used by search and rescue crews made the discovery, but team members on the ground still had the work of getting to the crash site in what the sheriff's office described as "dense timber." "SAR members located the downed airplane and confirmed all three occupants were deceased," it said. "The decedents were extricated from the plane and transported by helicopter where their remains were turned over to a Gallatin County Sheriff's Office deputy coroner." The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for information. A report on the FAA's aviation safety database states the aircraft was a variant of the Piper Cherokee, a small, single-engine plane. It was carrying two flight crew members and one passenger, according to the agency. The FAA was tasked, alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, with investigating the cause of the crash. The weather for the area in recent days has included afternoon wind gusts as strong as 20 mph or greater, chilly overnight temperatures and daytime high temperatures mostly in the upper 70s. Sheriff Dan Springer offered his "deepest condolences" to loved ones of the deceased.
