PIPER PA-23-250

Full Narrative

On October 17, 2025, about 1615 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N2345R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Condon, Montana. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to a report of preliminary air traffic control (ATC) services, at 1541, the pilot requested a climb to 14,000 ft mean sea level (msl) due to concerns about icing and was also advised of icing in the mid-teens by the controller. The pilot subsequently requested vectors toward lower terrain and then informed the controller that he was unable to maintain altitude before he declared an emergency, citing icing and an issue with the left engine. Salt Lake Center (ZLC) lost radar contact with the airplane at 1615. An airplane in the area attempted to relay communications to the accident airplane, but was unsuccessful. Another airplane advised ZLC that they were able to identify the accident airplane at 4,300 ft msl on ADS-B, northeast of Goat Mountain. Family members notified the Federal Aviation Administration when the flight did not arrive at its destination airport and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was subsequently issued at 1629.

Figure 1: ADS-B Flight track of the accident airplane’s final moments
Search and Rescue aircraft were deployed from Malmstrom Air Force Base, along with members of the Missoula County Search and Rescue, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Powell County Sheriff's Office. The accident site was located on October 18, 2025 in mountainous terrain at an elevation of 5,286 ft msl near Youngs Creek within the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.