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2 Men Seriously Hurt in Small Plane Crash in Western Montana

Utility crew finds downed powerline and small plane nearby

By Molly Priddy

HELENA — Two men were seriously injured in a plane crash that was discovered by utility workers in western Montana.

Broadwater County Sheriff Wynn Meehan tells The Independent Record in Helena the Cessna 180 crashed about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) southwest of Townsend and was found Wednesday evening. The men, who were alert and able to speak with emergency responders, were flown from the scene to different hospitals.

NorthWestern Energy spokeswoman Jo Dee Black says a company crew was checking on an outage Wednesday afternoon and found a downed powerline and the small airplane nearby. A piece of the tail was found on a gravel bar in the river, and the plane was located by yelling until the two men responded.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.