What Happened to ‘Ice Road Truckers’ Star Darrell Ward? How He Died & More
After eight years off the air, Ice Road Truckers returned with a brand new season earlier this month. The show, which follows drivers operating trucks on icy and snowy roads, initially ran for 10 years on the History Channel from 2007 to 2017.
There was never an official cancellation, but cast members have said that they were not asked to return after Season 11 … until now. Only a few truckers from the original run have returned. One who is not present on the new season is Darrell Ward, who died in 2016.
Scroll down to learn more about Ward’s death and his time on the show.
How did Darrell Ward die?
Ward died in a plane crash on August 28, 2016. The plane crash took place in Montana. Ward was a passenger in a Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft with pilot Mark Melotz, who also died in the accident.
A certified commercial pilot witnessed the crash and told the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that the aircraft was “stable” on final approach. However, “when the airplane was about 40 feet above the runway and preparing to land, it suddenly veered 90 degrees to the right, in what he estimated to be about a 30-degree bank angle,” according to the NTSB.
“The airplane subsequently collided with a stand of trees that bordered the runway on the north, then impacted the ground before coming to rest upright on the shoulder of an interstate highway,” the witness recalled. “Shortly thereafter, a fire erupted, which consumed the forward two-thirds of the airplane.”
At the time of his death, Ward was preparing to film a pilot for a show about airplane wrecks.
What caused Darrell Ward’s plane crash?
The cause of the crash was inconclusive. Nearly a full year after the incident, the NTSB released the accident report in August 2017.
“A post-accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation,” the report said. “The reason for the sudden right turn while on short final approach could not be determined during the investigation.”
How long was Darrell Ward on Ice Road Truckers?
Ward was a cast member on the History Channel show for four years. He made his debut during Season 6 in 2012 and filmed his last season in 2016 before his death. He was not part of Season 11 in 2017.
Ice Road trucker, Season 12, Wednesdays, 9:30/8:30c, History Channel
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