Three survive plane crash

Three people survived a plane crash Tuesday morning at the Schafer Meadows Airstrip in the Great Bear Wilderness Area.

The Two Bear Air helicopter was dispatched to retrieve the injured men, who were flown to Kalispell City Airport to meet medical responders.s

One of the men was able to stand. Another was bandaged on his limbs, with gashes covering his arms. A third man didn’t sit or stand but was responsive.

He was moved via stretcher to a Kalispell Fire Department ambulance.

The men were taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

The crash occurred about 11 a.m., according to Spotted Bear District Ranger Deb Mucklow.

She said the plane was a commercial charter flying people in to Schafer who then planned to raft down the upper reaches of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said that the plane was owned by Red Eagle Aviation.

“Schafer Meadows is open,” Mucklow said. “There's no damage or limitation on anyone using the airstrip.”

The Federal Aviation Administration will handle the investigation of the crash, Mucklow said.