The following information was released by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office:
On Sunday, June 7, 2020, at around 8:32 am the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a plane crash at Frye Lake, southwest of Lander in the Shoshone National Forest. First Responders arrived and found a small, single-engine “Kitfox” brand aircraft, partially submerged in the lake. The pilot was able to escape the wreckage and was assisted to shore by nearby campers but unfortunately, the plane’s passenger (a 33-year-old Lander man) was killed in the crash. The pilot (identified as Scott Fitzgerald of Port Angeles, Washington) was transported by Ambulance to Sagewest Hospital in Lander and later transported by air ambulance to an out of state hospital for treatment. The pilot’s condition is unknown at this time. Fremont County Search and Rescue members along with members of the Fremont County Fire Department were able to extricate the deceased man from the plane and eventually remove the aircraft from the lake.
Witnesses to the crash described the plane as flying low and wobbling a bit before plunging into the lake. Witnesses described the plane as striking the water and then almost immediately catching fire. The portion of the plane that was above the water sustained significant fire damage. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and an investigation is being conducted by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) in conjunction with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone National Forest Rangers.
Photos below were shared with the FCSO release. They are of “Fremont County Search & Rescue Members working to retrieve the wreckage from the lake.”
