NTSB and FAA investigatorss spent most of the day at the crash site near Dunn Mountain, North of Billings, returning to Billings at approximately 4:30 PM.
Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3:10 a.m., an initial alert stated that a single-engine Cessna 182 flying from Hardin, MT was missing in the Billings area. Throughout that night, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office personnel worked with federal agencies to determine the aircraft’s most recent position and radar tracking determined the aircraft’s last known position to be 30 miles north of Billings, near Dunn Mountain, indicating the flight was off coarse.
Sheriff Mike Linder flew to the area north of Billings Sunday morning in a helicopter piloted by Al Blain of Billings Flying Service. They located the downed Cessna near the base of the western slope of Dunn Mountain, which is visible from Hwy 87 N. After landing, they determined there were no survivors. Search crews from Yellowstone County Sheriff’s and the Shepherd Fire Department were then sent in to the crash site via Old Divide Road at 10 a.m. Sunday morning.
