What’s Going On With All These Montana Plane Crashes?

I don’t know what’s going on in Montana right now, but something is definitely in the air. We’ve seen what feels like an abnormal number of plane incidents lately, and they’re coming one right after another.

Earlier this summer, tragedy struck in West Yellowstone when a small plane went down, killing three people. It felt like one of those rare, awful accidents you hope never to hear about again anytime soon. But then this week happened.

On Monday, a small aircraft crashed at the Kalispell City Airport. Federal officials say the plane had engine trouble before it went down just after 2 p.m. The plane caught fire and caught another one on fire that was parked. Somehow all four people on board walked away with only minor injuries. Considering the flames, that’s nothing short of a miracle.

Then, less than 24 hours later, another crash, this time at Ryan Field near West Glacier. Calls came in around 3 p.m. Tuesday. Crews from multiple fire departments and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office responded, but sadly, the pilot, who was alone in the aircraft, died at the scene. The plane was found upside down at the end of the runway.

It’s not the first fatal crash at Ryan Field this summer. Back on July 26, two Washington men died when their single-engine plane ran off the runway. That investigation is still ongoing.

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Lately, it feels like every time we turn around, there’s another plane crash making headlines here in Montana. So what’s the deal? This seems like a lot, which isn’t even all the incidents.