Search teams found the wreckage of a plane crash that killed three people near Yellowstone National Park by tracking the last known location of a victim’s smartwatch, authorities have said.
On July 18 at about 1.41 p.m., the West Yellowstone Dispatch Center received a report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding a possible airplane crash.
According to FAA records released July 21, there had been no contact with the plane since its departure.
Wreckage Found South of West Yellowstone
Just over half an hour after the initial search began, the aircraft was found in heavy timber near South Plateau Road, south of West Yellowstone. Upon reaching the site, rescue teams confirmed all three individuals aboard had died in the crash.Search and rescue teams, including the West Yellowstone Section, the Big Sky Section, the Heli Team, and a communications team, responded to the scene.
Victims Identified
Sheriff’s deputies identified the victims as Tennessee residents Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. Notifications have been made to their family members.“Sheriff Springer would like to extend his deepest condolences to the Conover and Robey families for their respective losses,” the sheriff’s office said. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office also thanked the Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Transportation Safety Board for their assistance in the operation.