Auburn aviation graduate, family killed in Montana plane crash

MONTANA (WRBL) — The Auburn University aviation community is mourning the loss of one of its own after a recent graduate and flight instructor was killed in a plane crash in Montana that also claimed the lives of her father, sister, and family dog.

According to investigators, 23-year-old Lainey Anderson, a certified flight instructor at Sanders Aviation in Jasper, Alabama, died Friday when the twin-engine Piper Aztec she was traveling in went down in a remote area of the Bob Marshall Wilderness of northwestern Montana.

Officials say Anderson’s father, Mark Anderson, who was piloting the aircraft, her younger sister Ellie Anderson, and the family’s dog were also killed. The family was traveling together when radar contact was lost around 4:30 p.m. Friday. Search crews located the wreckage Saturday morning after a volunteer aircraft spotted debris in rugged terrain.

Lainey was a recent graduate of Auburn University’s Professional Flight program, where she earned respect and friendship from classmates and instructors alike. Auburn officials confirmed the loss in a message to students, writing, “Auburn Aviation Family, it’s with a heavy heart that we share the loss of recent Professional Flight graduate Lainey Anderson. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Sanders Aviation released a statement saying Lainey was a talented and dedicated instructor whose passion for flight inspired her students daily. “Our aviation family is heartbroken. Lainey was an exceptional pilot, a bright light, and a joy to all who knew her. We ask for prayers for her mother, Misty, and all who loved the Anderson family.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash. Early reports indicate the aircraft may have experienced engine trouble before losing contact.

Friends and colleagues from Auburn and Sanders Aviation are sharing tributes online, remembering Lainey as a kind, determined young woman who pursued her dream of flying with courage and grace.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.