Latest news with #GallatinCountySheriff'sOffice
Toronto Sun
21 hours ago
- General
- Toronto Sun
Victim's smartwatch helps crews find site of fatal Montana plane crash
The plane crashed near West Yellowstone, Montana, killing all three people on board Published Jul 22, 2025 • Last updated 4 minutes ago • 2 minute read Gallatin County Sheriff's Office Photo by Facebook Search crews were able to find a missing plane that crashed near West Yellowstone, Montana, killing all three people on board – with the help of a smartwatch belonging to one of the victims, local authorities said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The plane left West Yellowstone airport shortly before midnight Mountain time on Thursday. Authorities received a call about a possible plane crash the following afternoon, with the 'U.S. Department of Transportation Aero Division' reporting that the aircraft 'could not be located,' the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement shared Monday on Facebook. 'Utilizing the last location of an occupants' smart watch, two search planes were sent to search for the missing aircraft,' the sheriff's office said. At 2:13 p.m., around half an hour after the call came in, the searchers confirmed they had found the crash site 'in dense timber' just south of the town of West Yellowstone. Search and rescue crews reached the scene and confirmed all those on board had been killed, according to the sheriff's office. The statement named the victims as Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, who both lived in Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, who was 55 and from Utah. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration, two members of crew and one passenger were on board the Piper aircraft when it crashed under unknown circumstances Thursday. It added that there was 'substantial' damage. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. Sheriff Dan Springer 'would like to extend his deepest condolences to the Conover and Robey families for their respective losses,' the statement from the sheriff's office concluded. The sheriff's office did not identify the model of smartwatch used to locate the crash site, or provide any information about how the location data was accessed. However, location data from phones and smartwatches have helped track down victims of crashes before. In one case, a North Carolina mother was able to rescue her teenage daughter, whose car had plunged into a ravine, after locating the teen via her phone's Find My app. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Many smartwatches and phone devices are also able to alert emergency services in case of certain emergencies, including if the user has a fall. Apple says its Crash Detection feature, available on some iPhones and Apple Watches, can be used to connect users to emergency services if the device detects a severe vehicle collision. Google Pixel phones have a similar feature. In 2022, a couple whose car fell off a mountainside into Angeles National Forest's Monkey Canyon in California were rescued shortly after their phone detected a crash and alerted the authorities, The Washington Post reported at the time. Sunshine Girls Canada Sunshine Girls Columnists Celebrity
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Smartwatch led rescuers to fatal plane crash in Montana woods
The dense forests near West Yellowstone, Montana, concealed the wreckage of a small plane until an unlikely beacon — a smartwatch worn by one of the victims — helped search-and-rescue crews locate the crash site, officials said Monday. Responding crews found all three people aboard the aircraft dead, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The victims were Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, both of Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah, according to the office. The plane departed from West Yellowstone Airport on Thursday, just before midnight, but never reached its destination, the sheriff's office said. On Friday afternoon, West Yellowstone Dispatch received a call from the US Department of Tranportation's Aero Division alerting local authorities that the aircraft's location was unknown. Minutes later, two planes were sent to search for the missing aircraft and, guided by location data from a smartwatch worn by one of the passengers, found the crash site just south of the town of West Yellowstone, the sheriff's office said. The search planes spotted the wreckage from air, describing it as 'crashed in dense timber,' the office said. Ground crews navigated the rugged wilderness to reach the site. Responders confirmed all three occupants had died. Their remains were airlifted and turned over to the county coroner. The aircraft was a version of the Piper Cherokee, a small, single-engine plane, according to the accident notice for the crash in the Federal Aviation Administration's aviation safety database. It was carrying two crew members and one passenger, the report shows. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. CNN has reached out to both agencies for comment. Weather in the area at the time included gusty winds and chilly overnight temperatures. Sheriff Dan Springer extended his 'deepest condolences' to the victims' families.
Cedar News
a day ago
- General
- Cedar News
Montana Plane Crash: Smartwatch Helps Locate Downed Aircraft, All 3 On Board Dead
A smartwatch led search crews to the site of a Montana plane crash that killed three people after departing West Yellowstone Airport, officials said. Montana Plane Crash: Smartwatch Leads Crews to Fatal Crash Site A Montana plane crash claimed the lives of all three people on board after a small aircraft went down in a densely wooded area south of West Yellowstone, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Monday. Remarkably, location data from a victim's smartwatch helped search-and-rescue crews locate the wreckage. All Three On Board Killed in Montana Plane Crash Authorities identified the victims as Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, both of Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. They were aboard a small plane that departed West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday. When the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, the U.S. Transportation Department's Aero Division alerted local agencies that its location was unknown. Smartwatch Played Key Role in Locating Crash Site Rescue efforts took a critical turn after teams accessed location data from a smartwatch worn by one of the victims. This data pointed them to the crash site in remote forestland. Two planes deployed in the search helped locate the site from the air, but ground crews had to navigate through dense timber to reach it. Piper Cherokee Variant Involved in Montana Plane Crash The aircraft involved in the Montana plane crash was a Piper Cherokee variant — a small, single-engine plane. The FAA's aviation safety database lists it as carrying two crew members and one passenger. Ground teams confirmed all three people on board were deceased. Their remains were extracted and flown by helicopter to authorities, where they were turned over to a Gallatin County deputy coroner. Investigation Underway Into Cause of Montana Plane Crash The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into what caused the crash. Weather conditions in the area recently included wind gusts of up to 20 mph and cold overnight temperatures. Sheriff Dan Springer extended his 'deepest condolences' to the families of the victims.
a day ago
- General
The wreckage of a Montana plane crash is found using a victim's smart watch location
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. -- Search teams located the site of an airplane crash that killed three people near Yellowstone National Park using the last known location of the smart watch from one of the victims, authorities said Monday. The single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft left Montana's West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday, according to Federal Aviation Administration records released Monday. When the aircraft could not be located, two search planes were dispatched to look for it in the vicinity of the last known location of the watch, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said. The search planes found the downed aircraft about a half-hour later in dense timber just south of the town of West Yellowstone. All three occupants were deceased. The victims were identified by the sheriff's office as Robert Conover, 60, of Tennessee; Madison Conover, 23, also of Tennessee; and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. It was under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.
NDTV
a day ago
- General
- NDTV
How A Smart Watch Helped Locate Montana Plane Crash Wreckage
West Yellowstone: Search teams located the site of an airplane crash that killed three people near Yellowstone National Park using the last known location of the smart watch from one of the victims, authorities said Monday. The single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft left Montana's West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight on Thursday, according to Federal Aviation Administration records released Monday. When the aircraft could not be located, two search planes were dispatched to look for it in the vicinity of the last known location of the watch, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said. The search planes found the downed aircraft about a half-hour later in dense timber just south of the town of West Yellowstone. All three occupants were dead. The victims were identified by the sheriff's office as Robert Conover, 60, of Tennessee; Madison Conover, 23, also of Tennessee; and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. It was under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.
