Montana Plane Crash Investigation May take Months

There has been much speculation about the possible causes of the crash of the Pilatus PC-12 that crashed in Montana, just a few miles from the Butte airport. At this point, investigators are still observing the crash site and collecting data from the impact. Also under investigation is whether or not the plane may have been overloaded with weight during the flight. The plane is designed to hold 10 seated passengers, but there were 14 people on the flight. It's important to note that 7 of the passengers were children under the age of 10 years old, including only 2 that were over the age of 5.

Early theories are that the plane encountered a layer of weather at low altitude that is conducive to rapid icing and that it was the icing that eventually stalled and brought down the plane. One eyewitness on the ground stated that the plane appeared to jerk in the air before it nosedived to the ground.

The plane was also originally scheduled to land in Bozeman, Montana, but the pilot changed the flight plan early in the flight without providing an explanation.

The Pilatus PC-12 does have a history of icing problems at low altitudes and at least one former member of the NTSB is likening the crash to the one that occurred in Buffalo in February, killing all 50 people on board.