Plane Crashes Near Butte Kills 17

March 22, 2009 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by airplane accident lawyers in California, an airplane crash near the Butte Montana area crashed. The plane originated out of Orville California according to the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus and was a single engine Pilatus PC-12. The Pilatus PC 12 only holds 6-10 people. California airplane accident attorney, Michael Ehline states if it was overcrowded, it was probably a wrongful death and not a mere accident.

The spokesman stated the plane left Orville California at approximately 11:00 a.m. PST and was en-route to Bozeman. The plane was rerouted to Butte where it crashed about 500 feet short of the runway of Bert Mooney Airport.

Reported by the Montana Standard eyewitnesses stated the plane had been doing steep angled turns before it nose-dived into the trees at Holy Cross Cemetery. A fireman also reported that there may have been children aboard the plane on their way to a ski vacation.

The preliminary information shows the pilot did not declare an emergency according to Fergus. The plane was registered to Eagle Ca Leasing Enterprise in Oregon and was manufactured in 2001.

Other witnesses to the crash headed for the crash site to help and stated that it was too late for them to help any of the crash victims.