Plane crashes in Yellowstone park; pilot injured

Livingston, Mont. • A single-engine airplane crashed in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park on Monday morning, seriously injuring the 54-year-old pilot, park officials said.

Gardiner resident Bill Hill told the Livingston Enterprise (http://bit.ly/1h0QcBu ) he heard a plane's engine struggling at about 8:30 a.m.

"I heard a really loud propeller noise," Hill said. "I looked out and saw a plane headed toward the ground at a weird angle, and I knew it must have crashed."

Hill and his daughter drove to the crash site while she called 911.

Hill said that as he approached the damaged plane, he saw pilot Mark Nardin, of Pray, crawl out of the wreckage. Nardin was conscious, "had his wits about him," complained of pain in his ribs and appeared to have a broken leg, Hill said.

"I kept him from moving and kept him awake and talked to him" until emergency responders arrived, Hill said.

The agricultural plane crashed less than 2 miles east of Gardiner, and the pilot was taken to the hospital in Bozeman, said Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Aero Commander agricultural and pest control airplane is registered to Nardin & Nardin Co., of Pray.