OGDEN -- An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board said it could be several months before a final determination is made on the cause of a plane crash Monday near Bozeman, Mont., that killed an Ogden man.
Jarrod Dearden, 34, was killed about 8:10 a.m. Monday when his Cessna 182 single-engine plane went down in a field about 10 miles from the Bozeman airport.
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Dearden was died in the crash.
NTSB investigator Wayne Pollack said his investigation of the wreck started at the crash site and consisted of investigating all of the remaining pieces of the airplane and collecting them.
"All of the wreckage has been removed and taken to a secure site," he said. "... we will start a detailed investigation of the structure of the plane and the gauges on the instrument panel."
Pollack said he will issue a preliminary report next week, but said final determination of the cause of the crash could take months. His work is strictly fact-finding, he said.
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office asked Tuesday for any witnesses to the crash to come forward.
Dearden was director of maintenance at a helicopter maintenance company in Salt Lake City. Sean Reid, the owner of the business, also owned the Cessna that Dearden was flying.
Reid told the Standard-Examiner on Monday that Dearden was going to Bozeman to work on a friend's airplane. Reid said Dearden was a thorough mechanic and an experienced pilot, and that the airplane had recently passed its annual inspection.
Dearden is the son of Weber County Commissioner, and former Weber County Sheriff, Craig Dearden. Jarrod Dearden and his wife, Lynette, have four children.
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