Originally published March 23, 2009 at 12:42 AM | Page modified March 23, 2009 at 12:44 AM

Comments (6) E-mail article Print view Share

FAA: 14 dead in Montana plane crash, including 7 adults and 7 children

A federal official says 14 people died when a single engine turboprop airplane nose-dived into a cemetery as it approached the Butte, Mont., airport.

By MATT GOURAS

Associated Press Writer

PREV of NEXT

MARTHA GUIDONI / AP

In this picture provided by Martha Guidoni via The Montana Standard, a fire burns inside the Holy Cross Cemetery after a small, singe-engine plane crashed in an area just south of the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Mont. on Sunday, March 22, 2009.

BUTTE, Mont. —

A federal official says 14 people died when a single engine turboprop airplane nose-dived into a cemetery as it approached the Butte, Mont., airport.

The number of the dead was confirmed Sunday night by Karen Byrd, a Federal Aviation Administration operations officer in Renton, Wash.

She says the death toll included seven adults and seven children. The death toll originally had been put as high as 17.

FAA spokesman Mike Fergus says the aircraft crashed and burned at Holy Cross Cemetery, 500 feet short of Bert Mooney Airport. No cause of the crash was given.

Fergus says investigators believe the trip was likely a ski trip.

More Nation & World headlines...

E-mail article Print view Share

Comments (6)

RIP... what a tragedy and with children on board it really breaks my heart. Godspeed..... Posted on March 22, 2009 at 8:00 PM by Sammamish Dawg. Jump to comment

Why did the pilot put 17 people and all of their luggage on a plane designed for 12. That could have put it 500 lbs over payload limit, such that... Posted on March 22, 2009 at 8:46 PM by ronulus. Jump to comment

I'm on the Pilatus website right now, and for that model of aircraft, I'm not seeing any configuration that would accommodate even twelve... Posted on March 22, 2009 at 10:04 PM by Jephersson. Jump to comment

Read all comments / Share your thoughts