NTSB releases preliminary report on fatal plane crash near Forsyth | Montana News

UPDATED June 7, 2024:

FORSYTH, Mont. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on its investigation into a May 14 plane crash near Forsyth that killed the pilot and sole passenger.

According to the NTSB, the pilot of the Piper PA-18-150 was conducting aerial predatory wildlife management on a ranch property. The pilot was assisted by a county trapper who was on the ground near the hunting area and who communicated with the pilot by cell phone.

The county trapper told the NTSB that he received a final phone call from the pilot around 7:18 a.m., who reported that he had eradicated two coyotes and spotted a third. The call then ended.

The county trapper said that at that point he heard gunshots, which he attributed to predator management operations. The county trapper left the scene and attempted to call and text the pilot several times, with no response.

A livestock foreman saw the downed plane while taxiing on a road passing the crash site and reported the accident to law enforcement.

The NTSB says it was around 7:20 a.m. when the Piper PA-18-150 crashed.

According to the examination of the accident site, the plane had struck a hill “in an extremely nose-down attitude”. The plane then came to rest in an almost vertical position.

The NTSB added that all major parts remained attached to the plane and no visible crash marks were observed on the ground near the wreckage. The aircraft suffered significant damage to the engine mounts, front fuselage and both wings.

The aircraft was recovered to a secure location for further examination by the NTSB. No additional details have been provided by the NTSB at this time.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A single-engine plane crashed in southeastern Montana, killing the pilot and passenger, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.

The Piper PA-18 crashed near Tillitt Field Airport, east of the town of Forsyth, around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the FAA said. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the causes of the accident.

Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton said he has identified the victims but has not yet released their names. The accident did not cause a fire, he said.

The story has been corrected to show the plane crashed at 4:30 p.m., not 10:30 p.m.