Darrell Ward, one of the stars of “Ice Road Truckers,” was killed in plane crash on Sunday. The accident happened near the Rock Creek exit on Interstate 90 in Montana.
Sheriffs identified one of the two victims as Ward, 52, from Deer Lodge, and the pilot, Mark Melotz, 56, of Arlee.
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“It is with great sadness to report we have lost our Montana Legend at the young age of 52,” said a release posted Monday morning on Ward’s Facebook page. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and a Missoula County Sheriff’s Reserve Deputy review the scene Monday morning of a light plane that crashed Sunday afternoon near the Rock Creek airstrip that killed Darrell Ward of “Ice Road Truckers” fame and Mark Melotz of Missoula. “Darrell Ward had just left The Great American Truck Show in Dallas, Texas where he enjoyed meeting numerous fans and friends and was heading to Missoula to begin filming a pilot for his new documentary style show involving the recovery of plane wrecks when he and his co-pilot crashed and lost their lives,” it said. h/t missoulian
The Cessna 182-D crashed on the edge of interstate as it appeared to be attempting to land at the Rock Creek Airport south of Clinton.
Missoula County Sheriff’s Department Patrol Captain Bill Burt said witnesses said the plane appeared to be attempting to land at the south end of the runway.