Alabama pilot, 2 daughters killed in plane crash in Montana wilderness

A pilot from Alabama and his two daughters died after the plane they were riding in crashed in Montana.

Powell County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) was alerted of “a possible downed aircraft” on Friday afternoon, according to a Facebook post. The plane was found at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“The downed aircraft was located in a remote, wooded area in Youngs Creek in the Bob Marshall Wilderness- North East of Seeley Lake,” PCSO said. “The pilot and two other occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.”

Monte Sano Baptist Church, located in Huntsville, Alabama, said on Facebook that Mark, Lainey and Ellie Anderson were missing prior to their discovery.

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Lainey, left; Mark, center; and Ellie Anderson all died during a plane crash in the Montana wilderness on Oct. 17, 2025. (Facebook/Monte Sano Baptist Church)

“Mark is an experienced pilot, and we’re holding onto hope that he made a safe landing in a remote area,” the church posted before the trio was found, adding that they were headed to Polson, Montana. 

Mark was 62 years old, Lainey was 22 years old and Ellie was 17 years old, according to the New York Post. 

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Sisters Lainey and Ellie Anderson pose in front of an airplane with their dog on an undisclosed date. Lainey was a flight instructor, Sanders Aviation said.  (Facebook/Monte Sano Baptist Church)

Sanders Aviation also took to Facebook to say that Lainey was one of its certified flight instructors and “was on a family vacation in Montana.”

“Lainey was tragically killed when the twin engine Aztec her father was flying developed engine problems not far from their destination in the Bob Marshall Wilderness,” the post said, asking for prayers for her mother named Misty. 

Elk and deer feeding in open grassy areas of Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana at night on an unspecified date. (Dennis Anderson/Star Tribune)

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PCSO said it turned over the plane crash investigation to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Both agencies said via email to Fox News Digital that they are not responding to routine media inquiries due to the government shutdown.