Libby couple killed in MN plane crash were doctor, county official

Two Libby residents, known for their dedication to public service and love of the outdoors, died in a plane crash in southeastern Minnesota over the weekend along with a relative.

Jacob Mertes, 42, and Dr. Sara Mertes, 37, a prominent and active local couple, were aboard a small aircraft piloted by Jacob Mertes' stepfather, Dr. James Edney, 72, when it crashed late Saturday afternoon, relatives told the Star Tribune. Officials said there were no survivors.

Jacob Mertes headed the Lincoln County Planning Department, worked as an environmental health specialist with the county Health Department and served with Libby Volunteer Ambulance. Sara Mertes worked as a family practice doctor at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center and served on the Lincoln City-County Board of Health.

While investigators have yet to complete a preliminary investigative report on the crash, Mike Folkerts of the National Transportation Safety Board said parts of the plane's tail, including its left elevator and left horizontal stabilizer, appeared to have come off in flight, according to the Associated Press.

"Without an elevator and a horizontal stabilizer, the aircraft is not flyable," Folkerts told reporters on Sunday.

COLLEAGUES AND friends in Libby remembered Jacob and Sara Mertes as hard-working professionals and volunteers who took full advantage of Lincoln County's recreational opportunities.

Libby City Council member Kristin Smith said Jacob Mertes moved to Libby roughly seven years ago. The two got to know each other as Smith served as Jacob Mertes' planning adviser and mentor. Smith also became one of Sara Mertes' patients after Mertes joined the Cabinet Peaks Clinic in 2016.

Smith recalled Jacob and Sara Mertes meeting locally and sharing a love of hiking.

"It's just a very sweet love story," Smith said. "If there's anything good [it's that] they were together in the end."

Dr. Kelli Jarrett said Sara Mertes made a point of reaching out to her when Jarrett started working at Cabinet Peaks in 2018. The two quickly became friends, bonding over the fact that Jarrett had completed her medical fellowship in the same program where Sara Mertes finished her residency.

Jarrett recalled Sara Mertes as kind and dedicated to her community. When the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up last year, Jarrett said Sara Mertes became heavily involved in provider meetings, helping to organize local public health responses.

"She was clearly concerned about doing the best thing for her patients and community," Jarrett said.

Sabrina Spiger, one of Sara Mertes' patients for four years, said she couldn't have asked for a better doctor. She recalled how Sara Mertes diagnosed her husband with a heart condition that his previous providers had missed.

"He had been to millions of doctors," Spiger said. "She was amazing."

Jeff Holder, president of Libby Volunteer Ambulance, said Jacob Mertes completed his emergency medical technician class in 2014. While the two didn't regularly take calls together, Holder remembered Jacob Mertes as intelligent and lighthearted. He made a great first responder, Holder said, always taking part in meetings and pulling his call time.

"He will be missed, not only personally but also in the LVA family," he said.

Holder recalled that Jacob and Sara Mertes had fully enjoyed their married lives, using their vacation time to explore different countries together.

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Pat McFadden said Jacob Mertes was a consummate professional who taught him a lot about the planning process. McFadden, a former U.S. Navy pilot, also counted Jacob Mertes among his friends, saying he bonded with him over their shared love of flight.

"We had many good conversations about our love of flying and technique and training," he said.

County Commissioner Jerry Bennett said Jacob Mertes was organized and methodical. With more and more subdivisions being developed in the county, Jacob Mertes had been a fixture at commission meetings in recent months, often with reams of paperwork under his arm. Bennett said Jacob Mertes always provided him and the other commissioners all with information they needed to make decisions.

"Jake and his infectious laugh will be missed," he said. "My heart goes out to Jake's and Sara's friends, family and [the] department."

The Federal Aviation Administration said the couple and Jacob Mertes' stepfather were flying from Alexandria Municipal Airport to Eden Prairie's Flying Cloud Airport before 6 p.m. Saturday when their plane crashed and burst into flames in Victoria, a small town about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

Parts from the single-engine Mooney M20M fell in nearby yards and hit at least one house, the Star Tribune reported. Debris ignited a fire that bystanders quickly put out. No one on the ground or in the home was injured.

NTSB officials expect to complete a preliminary investigative report on the crash in about two weeks. A full report will take between 12 and 18 months. Inspectors are looking into all factors that could have led to the crash, including the pilot, the aircraft and the environment, the Associated Press reported.