Montana Helicopter Fatal, 10/22/25

Kenny Phillips

Kenny Phillips

Final Approach
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Kenny Phillips
Son of Illinois GOP governor candidate, son's wife and two kids, son was piloting.
 
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Not a good week for aviation in Montana. Aztec crash in Bob Marshall Wilderness killing two children and the father, leaving the mom as a childless widow and then the Robinson R66 helicopter crash 5 miles from Ekalaka killing the dad and mom and two of their three children, leaving a 10-year-old Son who was not on the flight. The 37-year-old pilot was the son of Darren Bailey, a GOP candidate for Governor of Illinois. Details of crash and why helicopter was in this very sparsely populated area after dark is yet unknown. The Ekalaka area (county seat, pop. 400) is a desolate area with beaucoup MOA's that start at 1500 ft.
 
Is the correct date on this 10/22/2025? @Kenny Phillips, do you mind if we correct the thread title?

About the area, Ekalaka isn’t just a tiny town in a desolate area. It’s where you would go if you wanted to log some actual IMC under the “moonless night” concept. I don’t think there are many oil well flares in that area and, if not for those in eastern MT and western ND, you’re lucky to find a rancher’s yard light every 5 or even 20 miles. Sunset is about 6:00 pm local (Mountain) time.
 
Local news ran this yesterday... Sounded like he was on his way to a helicopter gathering of some kind.
 
This was a terrible tragedy. Guy was from my nick of the woods here in Southern IL.
 
The NTSB preliminary report is apparently out, and reported on by Juan Browne. They were evidently flying in trail with a Cessna 182 in the lead, had stopped at a ranch, and then discussed going around or over the Chalk Buttes, which are apparently about 270 feet above the 97M field elevation. It sounds like a CFIT into the hills as the sky darkened and shapes of the terrain faded from view.
 
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