The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on last month’s helicopter crash near Ekalaka, Montana, which claimed the lives of four members of Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s family. Victims included Bailey’s son Zachary, 37; daughter-in-law Kelsey, 35; and grandchildren Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7.
According to the report, the helicopter departed a private ranch south of Ekalaka as part of a two-aircraft flight, which included a Cessna 182 carrying a third grandchild, Finn, who was unharmed. A friend of the pilot said the helicopter flew alongside the Cessna over the Chalk Buttes before attempting a maneuver around the rocks. The friend lost visual contact with the helicopter approximately one minute later and could not reestablish radio communication.
A nearby witness reported seeing the helicopter gain altitude before an object appeared to detach, after which it descended out of sight. The helicopter ultimately crashed in an open field near the Chapel Buttes at an elevation of 3,779 feet, coming to rest on its left side. The debris field, approximately 300 feet by 300 feet, included parts of the fuselage, doors, tail rotor, stabilizers, and GPS mount.
Comments