What happened
A flight traveling from Nebraska City Airport toward Billings entered a fatal descent while cruising at 26,000 feet. During the flight, the pilot contacted air traffic control to report that the aircraft was becoming uncontrollable. The plane subsequently entered a dive and struck a heavily forested region approximately 50 km north of the Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport, situated near Gillette.
The impact caused the single-engine airplane to disintegrate upon contact with the ground. There were no survivors of the accident; the crash resulted in seven fatalities, including the pilot and six passengers.
Findings
- The aircraft was in a loss of control state prior to the impact.
- The wreckage was located in a dense wooded area north of Gillette.