RED LODGE — A small plane crashed just yards from a home near the Red Lodge Airport on Sunday morning, narrowly avoiding the residence, and has sparked new concerns from the homeowners about growing safety risks near the airport.
Watch the scene from a plane crash that nearly missed a Red Lodge residence:
The World War II U.S. Navy trainer aircraft went down around 9 a.m., crashing into a backyard only several yards from a home off of White Ave. S. Two people on board were moderately injured and taken to Beartooth Billings Clinic in stable condition, according to Red Lodge Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Torsten Prahl.
“I would say we're about 200 to 300 yards from the end of the runway," said Prahl. “It sounds like the plane was attempting to land. We're unsure of exactly what happened. However, they obviously had some mishap and crashed off the end of the runway."
Related: Small plane crash near Red Lodge airport sends two to hospital
Homeowners Kristen Cogswell and Rod Fordahl were inside the back of their home when the crash happened and were startled to discover the scene.
“I had watched the plane come down, and the last, probably two seconds, literally, and came down between two trees and just above our house, clipped one of them, and then hit the ground," recalled Fordahl. “You start thinking, 'Boy, we were lucky on that one.'"
“I heard a loud crash, and I looked out the window, and there's a plane in the yard, and I just started yelling for my son to call 911," added Cogswell. "I was flabbergasted because it came so close to my house. I mean, it's like 50 feet away, and I mean, it could have hit my house."
The plane struck a power line during its approach to the airport. Nearly 15 responding units arrived quickly to secure the scene and address a resulting fuel spill.
“We did have some fuel spillage that we shut off the fuel line for the airplane, tried to minimize the fuel spill into a nearby stream," said Prahl.
The plane, which is registered to a Columbus resident, was attempting to land on the runway and was participating in the airport's annual Wings and Wheels flight and car show.
While no fatalities were reported, the incident has renewed concern for Cogswell and Fordahl, who said this is the third plane crash they have witnessed near their property in just the five years they have lived there.
"As my neighbor said, 'The first time might be an accident, but the third time it's a habit,' and I'm just wondering where the fourth accident is going to occur because I just don't think it's safe," said Cogswell.
According to the couple, a previous crash occurred in 2020 just uphill from their home, near a water tower, and another in 2023, two blocks away into several trees. They worry that the town’s growth and increase in aviation traffic may be impacting the safety infrastructure of the Red Lodge Airport.
"When we purchased the property, the airport was much smaller, and with increased growth in Red Lodge, there's just been a lot more development around the airport," said Cogswell. "It's just too big to have that many planes taking off. We've noticed a huge increase in aviation traffic every day."
Though the couple is glad no one was seriously injured and is grateful for the quick emergency response, they urge that something must be done before it happens again.
“I just want the right agencies to be reviewing this accident to make sure that it doesn't happen again, because there's too many houses in this community, in this location," said Cogswell. "At the end of the day, since I'm still walking on the face of this Earth alive, I want the rest of the people in Red Lodge to be safe, and we just need to keep that to be the objective."
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Federal aviation authorities have been notified, and an official report is pending.
Montana saw several aircraft incidents in the month of August. A small plane crash near West Glacier resulted in one fatality, while in Kalispell, a plane with four passengers struck several parked airplanes and ignited multiple fires. Two people sustained minor injuries. Just last week, a Life Flight helicopter from Missoula crashed in a Lincoln parking lot during a landing attempt, though no injuries were reported.
