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Witness: TV Star’s Plane Veered to Right Before Missoula Crash

"Ice Road Truckers" driver Darrell Ward died Aug. 28 in plane crash

By Dillon Tabish

MISSOULA — A witness to an airplane crash that killed “Ice Road Truckers” driver Darrell Ward says the Cessna 182D was making a second attempt to land at a western Montana airstrip when it suddenly veered 90 degrees to the right.

The National Transportation Safety Board last week issued its preliminary report on the Aug. 28 plane crash that killed Ward of Deer Lodge and pilot Mark Melotz of Arlee.

A certified commercial pilot told investigators that the airplane initially overflew the Rock Creek Airport landing strip near Clinton. On its second approach, when the airplane was about 40 feet above the runway, it suddenly veered to the right and collided with a stand of trees before crashing on the shoulder of Interstate 90 and catching fire.

Ward was planning to film a pilot for a new documentary show involving the recovery of airplane wrecks.