Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash of a Robinson helicopter near Ekalaka Montana Wednesday evening. Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is Zachary’s father.
Family members of an Illinois gubernatorial candidate were killed in a helicopter crash piloted by his son Wednesday night near Ekalaka, Montana.
The wreck killed Zachary Bailey, son of Darren Bailey, the Trump-endorsed Republican running for governor against incumbent JB Pritzker. The candidate previously served in both the Illinois House and Senate.
Zachary’s wife, Kelsey, and two of their three children — 12-year-old Vada Rose and 7-year-old Samuel — were also killed, according to the Bailey campaign.
Republican gubernatorial challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey participates in a debate on Oct. 18, 2022 in Chicago.
“Darren and Cindy are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss,” the Bailey campaign stated on Facebook. “They are finding comfort in their faith, their family, and the prayers of so many who love and care for them.”
Gov. Greg Gianforte expressed condolences and prayers to the family in an emailed statement.
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Federal authorities are investigating the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Thursday morning the crash involved a Robinson R66 helicopter that can seat five people. A Federal Aviation Administration preliminary report for the crash isn’t currently available, likely a consequence of the federal government shutdown.
The helicopter was registered to Bailey Aviation Management LLC out of Xenia, Illinois. That LLC was registered by Zachary, who died in the crash. He and his LLC owned several aircraft.
Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash of a Robinson helicopter near Ekalaka Montana Wednesday evening. Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is Zachary’s father.
Zachary was piloting the helicopter when it went down, Aaron Del Mar, Darren’s running mate, told The Associated Press. The family was in Montana on a business trip as part of the farm business they helped their father run in south-central Illinois, Del Mar said.
Ekalaka is located in the far southeast corner of Montana in Carter County near the South Dakota and Wyoming borders. Carter County’s sheriff’s office said it responded to the site southwest of Ekalaka.
Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash of a Robinson helicopter in the Slim Buttes near Ekalaka Montana Wednesday evening. Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is Zachary's father.
Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash of a Robinson helicopter in Slim Buttes near Ekalaka Montana Wednesday evening. Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is Zachary's father.
Zachary Bailey, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, died in the crash of a Robinson helicopter in the Slim Buttes near Ekalaka Montana Wednesday evening. Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is Zachary's father.
Main Street in Ekalaka.
