‘Something came off’ Bailey helicopter before it crashed, witness says

A witness said “something came off” the helicopter carrying Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s family members before it crashed and claimed four lives in Montana, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Four members of Darren Bailey’s family died in the crash on Oct. 22 near Ekalaka, Montana. His son, Zachary Bailey, was flying the helicopter and the passengers included his wife and two of their children.

The NTSB report doesn’t say whether investigators have identified the object that fell off the helicopter.

Also, this NTSB report does not have an analysis or probable cause of the crash but the agency said that information is expected to be included in a final report issued in one to two years.

The witness was inside her home about ¾ mile southeast of the accident site when she heard the helicopter and a Cessna plane that was piloted by a friend of Zachary Bailey, who was flying the Robinson Helicopter Co. R66 chopper, according to the preliminary report.

Zachary Bailey had taken off from a private ranch along with the Cessna at 6:18 p.m. Mountain time in clear weather with 10 miles of visibility at dusk.

The Cessna pilot, whose name was not released, told investigators that he contacted Zachary Bailey after they took off and asked if he was going directly to the Ekalaka Airport in rural eastern Montana, according to the report.

Zachary Bailey told his friend he was going to fly over the Chalk Buttes on the way to the airport.

The report states the Cessna pilot saw the helicopter “fly through a gap in the rocks” and then make a right turn toward the Cessna.

The Cessna pilot said the last time he saw the helicopter it was about a half to one mile behind the Cessna.

The witness, whose name was not released, said she saw the helicopter flying low over the Chalk Buttes ahead of the Cessna.

“She stated that the helicopter then began to gain altitude, and something came off it, after which it descended out of her line of sight,” the report states.

About 12 minutes after takeoff, the helicopter crashed at about 6:30 p.m. in a field near a wooded area in the Chalk Buttes. The debris field was about 100 yards wide and 100 yards long southwest of the main wreckage site.

In 2014, the helicopter was damaged by three birds during a flight in Louisiana, according to a previous NTSB accident report. A flight instruction was in the helicopter with a student at the time.

In addition to 37-year-old Zachary Bailey, the helicopter crash claimed the lives of his wife, Kelsey, 35, and two children, Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7, of Xenia. A third child, Finn, was not on the helicopter.

Darren Bailey, who was the Republican candidate for governor in 2022 and lost the race to Gov. JB Pritzker, said Monday in a video announcement with his wife Cindy that he will continue his campaign seeking his party’s nomination for governor in the March 17 primary for the 2026 election.

“After a lot of prayer and reflection, Cindy and I have decided we’re staying in this race for governor — not for politics, but for every family trying to make it in a state that’s lost its way, for every parent who dreams of a better future for their children and for every Illinoisan who knows that we can do better,” Bailey said.

Darren Bailey lives on his family farm near Louisville, which is in Clay County south of Effingham.

This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM.