Three people killed in plane crash near West Yellowstone

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana (KIFI) - Three people were killed in a plane crash south of West Yellowstone.

Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said it was notified by U.S. Department of Transportation Aero Division of a possible plane crash on July 18, 2025, at 1:41 p.m.

The agency stated that the aircraft departed from West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on July 17 and could not be located.  

The Sheriff's office news release said, "Utilizing the last location of an occupant’s smart watch, two search planes were sent to search for the missing aircraft. At 2:13 p.m. the search planes confirmed the plane had been located crashed in dense timber just south of the town near South Plateau Rd."

Search and Rescue teams located the crash site and confirmed all three people on board were deceased.

They were identified as 60-year-old Rodney Conover and 23-year-old Madison Conover from Tennessee, and 55-year-old Kurt Enoch Robey of Utah.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.