Plane Crash Near Yellowstone Kills Three

Three people—Rodney Conover, 60, and Madison Conover, 23, of Tennessee, and Kurt Enoch Robey, 55, of Utah—died in a small plane crash south of West Yellowstone, Montana, after taking off just before midnight on July 17. The Piper Cherokee aircraft went missing, and its wreckage was found in dense timber using location data from a smartwatch worn by one of the victims. Search and rescue teams from multiple agencies responded, confirmed all occupants were deceased, and transferred the victims' bodies to the county coroner. The crash took place amid wind gusts of 20 mph or more, though the exact cause remains under investigation by the FAA and NTSB. Sheriff Dan Springer expressed condolences to the families and thanked all participating agencies. Tributes noted that Robey was pursuing his passion for flying.