BILLINGS — Yellowstone County Commissioner John Ostlund died in a plane crash south of Billings on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The small plane — reportedly a Cessna 172 — went down near the 6100 block of Blue Creek Road.
DAVID JAY HAS THE LATEST INFORMATION:
County Commissioner Mark Morse confirmed Ostlund’s death to MTN News.
Ostlund's family has been notified.
It's not yet known if anyone else was on the plane.
Records indicate the address of the plane’s owner matches Ostlund’s home address.
Authorities do not yet know why the plane crashed, and are continuing to investigate.
He has served as commission president several times, and is also a previous president of the Montana Association of Counties.
He and his wife, Kristie, have five adult children between them.
Ostlund, a Republican, was elected to the county commission in 2002 and was serving his sixth term.
We will update you when we get more information.
