Darren and Cindy Bailey got the news on Wednesday evening. Their son Zachary, his wife Kelsey and two of their grandchildren had died when a helicopter went down in eastern Montana.
The aircraft was a Robinson R66, and it came down near Ekalaka on October 22, 2025. KXLH in Billings and KTVH both reported four deaths. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating; it was the agency that identified the helicopter model. No cause has been given, and officials have released nothing else about the crash.
The victims were named in a statement posted on Facebook by the Illinois campaign of Darren Bailey and Aaron Del Mar. Bailey is a Republican who recently announced a run against Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Pritzker defeated him for the office in 2022.
According to the statement, the dead were Zachary, his wife Kelsey, and their children Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7. A third child, Finn, 10, was not aboard the helicopter and is safe.
The campaign said the family “tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident in Montana.” Darren and Cindy Bailey, it added, “are heartbroken by this unimaginable loss.” They are leaning on their faith, their relatives and the prayers of others, the statement said, and they asked for privacy while they grieve.
KTVH labeled its report a developing story. The NTSB has not said what brought the helicopter down.
