One Dead After Plane Crash in SW Montana

Montana officials are reporting one dead after a small plane crashed and drowned earlier this week.  The aircraft was traveling from Helena to Jackson, Wyoming.  The two-engine Cessna 377 Skymaster went down Thursday morning in rugged mountainous terrain according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

There were three passengers on the plane when it crashed. One of the passengers was able to contact for help and two passengers were located Thursday afternoon. Crews were searching for the plane in the Madison Range between Ennis Lake and Big Sky.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board did not release the exact location of the crash and the crash is currently under investigation.

When it comes to plane crashes there are three small plane crashes in the U.S. per day on average, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

When looking at aviation fatalities further, there were 393 civil aviation fatalities in 2018, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. This is an increase from 2017 when there were 347 fatalities.  Most of these fatalities involve small, private airplanes.

Gardiner Fire Pictures

The community of Gardiner, Montana, is still reeling from the devastating fire that destroyed part of the town last Tuesday, July 14th. The fire was ruled accidental by the Park County Sheriff's Office. It is believed to have been started as a grease fire in the kitchen of the Two Bit Saloon.

Here are some amazing pictures taken of the aftermath by Sandra Nykerk.