Preliminary NTSB report on plane crash in Montana en route to Trump rally released

MISSOULA, Mont. —

The following was sent by the National Transportation Security Board:

On August 8, 2024, at approximately 12:55 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, a Cessna 182K, N2764Q, sustained substantial damage in an accident near Augusta, Montana. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft was operated as a private flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91.

A father and son were traveling and as they approached Crown Mountain, they noticed smoke rising above the saddle. When they reached the saddle at about 1:50 p.m., they saw the plane on a steep slope, still smoldering from the fire. They were able to call the sheriff from the accident scene to report the location.

A review of automated surveillance (ADS-B) information provided by the FAA indicated that the aircraft departed from Pullman/Moscow Regional Airport in Pullman, Washington, at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time. After takeoff, the aircraft continued on a northeasterly course, maintaining an altitude between 7,500 and 8,000 feet above sea level. The aircraft's flight path ended at the beginning of mountainous terrain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

This information is preliminary and subject to change.

The accident site was in a canyon 17 nautical miles west of Augusta, Montana. The terrain consisted of loose rubble beneath more solid rock ledges and outcrops, crossed by a gentle central canyon with forest vegetation. The south canyon wall reached an elevation of 2,660 meters, while the north wall, known as Crown Mountain, reached an elevation of 2,650 meters. The aircraft came to rest on a steep south-facing slope at an elevation of 2,300 meters.

The nose of the aircraft was pointed upward on a magnetic heading of about 140. The wreckage was scattered over a 90-foot area, with the most distant debris, primarily windshield fragments, located east of the main wreckage. The main wreckage, which included all major control surfaces, was found 800 feet below the cliff top and 625 feet above the canyon floor.

Read the full report below: