An Alabama father and his two daughters have been found dead after their plane crashed into the Montana wilderness.

Authorities say pilot Mark Anderson, 62, and his daughters Lainey, 22, and Ellie, 17, were traveling when their aircraft went down around 4:30 p.m. in a remote section of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a 1.5 million-acre area that’s slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said radar contact was lost over the area, prompting an extensive search by air crews from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. The search lasted until midnight before the plane was found the next morning.

“The plane was located by a volunteer aircraft operating under the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics division around 9 a.m. the following day,” Roselles wrote in a statement. “Members of the Powell County Coroner’s Office, Missoula County Search and Rescue, the Seeley Lake Rural Fire Department with assistance from the Montana DNRC, arrived on scene around 1600 hours. The pilot and two other occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.”

The FAA and NTSB have since taken over the investigation into the crash.

Before authorities confirmed their deaths, the Monte Sano Baptist Church in Huntsville—where the Anderson family worshiped—had asked the community to pray for their safe return.

“Mark, Lainey, and Ellie Anderson (father and daughters) went missing yesterday while flying to Polson,” the church wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post. “Mark is an experienced pilot, and we’re holding onto hope that he made a safe landing in a remote area. Weather complicated and delayed rescue efforts, but search teams are back out this morning.”

When the tragic news became official, tributes began pouring in from across Alabama.

Sanders Aviation in Jasper, where Lainey trained, revealed that she had recently earned her certification as a flight instructor. “Lainey graduated from Auburn University’s Professional Flight program where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity,” the flight school shared. “Lainey was an exceptional and skilled aviator and a beloved flight instructor at our Jasper Campus. She was dedicated to her craft and students. Please pray for her mother, Misty and all of her family and friends. Her Sanders family will remember her with love and admiration. God Bless you and keep you, Lainey.”

Her Auburn University sorority, Alpha Chi Omega – Epsilon Zeta, also honored her: “We join our Auburn Alpha Chi sisters in praying for the family and friends of Lainey Anderson, PC ‘21.”

Former college roommate Katie Giddens Parker expressed her heartbreak online, writing, “Lainey Anderson was one of the first friends @maryavnor made through @auburnalphachi and they were immediately the BEST of friends… Mark, Jay and Lainey would always talk airplane and flying.”

Ellie, a high school student and dancer, was remembered by her Element Dance Company family: “The Anderson family is in our every thought and prayer. We will all take Ellie’s quote: ‘Let all that you do be done in love’ into every second of every day moving forward. There is so much more to say and we will say it and share it forever and ever and over and over but right now it’s a moment that the words don’t reach…”

As friends and loved ones mourn this unimaginable loss, one thing is clear: the Andersons left behind a legacy of love, faith, and passion for life that will continue to inspire all who knew them. Please lift the Anderson family in prayer — asking God to bring them comfort, strength, and peace that surpasses understanding.