The Alabama pilot that crashed into the Bob Marshall Wilderness in October reported experiencing icing and engine trouble before losing altitude, federal investigators say.  

The crash occurred in the evening hours of Oct. 17 and killed the pilot, Mark Anderson, and his two daughters, Lainey and Ellie. The three were on a family vacation. Authorities indicated that a dog was also on board.  

Anderson requested to climb to 14,000 feet mean sea level over icing concerns. He then asked for direction toward lower terrain, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Nov. 21.   

But Anderson was unable to maintain altitude and declared an emergency. He reported experiencing icing and an issue with the plane’s left engine, according to the report.  

The Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center lost radar contact with the plane at about 4:15 p.m., according to the report.  

Flight track data shows the plane headed northwest toward Polson before making a tight U-turn and heading northeast.  

Family members notified the Federal Aviation Administration when the plane failed to arrive at Polson Airport, and an alert was issued at 4:29 p.m. 

The next day, a multi-agency search was launched that included help from Missoula County Search and Rescue, Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue, Seeley Lake Rural Fire District, the U.S. Forest Service and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Powell County Sheriff’s Office. 

A volunteer aircraft located the wreck about 9 a.m. in a remote, wooded area in Youngs Creek northeast of Seeley Lake. The volunteer, under the command of the state Department of Transportation Aeronautics division, was working off a weak emergency locator transmitter signal, according to the Powell County Sheriff’s Office.  

Helicopters from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation shuttled ground teams to the remote, steep terrain where the crash occurred, according to the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.  

The pilot and two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene.  

The plane that crashed was a fixed wing multi-engine Piper PA-23 and registered under Blue Wave Air LLC in Huntsville, Alabama, according to federal records. It was recovered and taken to a secure facility for investigation.  

The trio had departed Billings-Logan International Airport at about 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, according to flight data. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].