Dr. Clint Devin

Dr. Clint Devin — a neurospine and orthopedic surgeon at Powell Valley Healthcare, Cody Regional Health and Yellowstone Sports Medicine — died Friday evening when his small aircraft crashed in the mountains southwest of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Data from FlightAware shows that Devin’s Piper Malibu Meridian single-engine turboprop left Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody shortly after 5 p.m. and was expected to land in Steamboat Springs around 6:12 p.m. However, air traffic control officials lost contact with Devin’s plane and notified the Routt County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office of a possible emergency around 6:40 p.m. Search and rescue personnel responded to the aircraft’s last known position and crews on snowmobiles found Devin’s aircraft at 7:59 p.m., along with his remains.

The 46-year-old is survived by his wife Jessica, and their two sons. 

Devin was an integral member of the medical community in Park County and colleagues and patients expressed a great loss at the news of his passing. 

“Dr. Devin was an amazing and kind doctor,” said Lindsey Loyning, PVHC Operating Room Director. “He was very engaged and provided excellent care. He will be greatly missed by all of our staff and the entire Big Horn Basin community.”

Cody Regional Health CEO Doug McMillan said the hospital was “deeply saddened” by the news.

“Dr. Devin was a gifted orthopedic surgeon and wonderful person who was admired by everyone that knew him. Our heart goes out to Dr. Devin’s family,” McMillan said.

Devin was also a surgeon at the Steamboat Orthopaedic and Spine Institute in Colorado, where staffers said they were devastated by his loss. 

“Our community has lost a brilliant spine surgeon who helped many to move forward in their journey toward healing. As a father and husband, Clint was dedicated to his family and was thrilled to move them to Steamboat to be part of our active, caring community,” the institute wrote in a Facebook post, adding that Devin “with his intellect and genuine smile will truly be missed by all of us.”

Justine Larsen of Powell, who was a patient of Devin’s, said the surgeon flew his own plane between Park County and Colorado to see patients. As a private pilot with his own plane, it made the commute much easier, and Larsen said it will be difficult for area providers to find a replacement.

“It is just devastating. He was such a positive and personable physician and surgeon,” Larsen said. “I don’t know if our community realizes how fortunate we were to have him.”

Larsen had spoken to Devin on Thursday about some test results, and was scheduled to undergo surgery. She said Devin was “top in the nation.”

According to his biography on the Steamboat institute’s website, Devin had performed over 5,500 spine surgeries in his career. He was formerly the head of spine trauma and an adjunct associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Originally from Laramie, Devin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming. 

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of Friday’s crash. An initial report to the FAA said the aircraft crashed “under unknown circumstances.”

According to Flight Aware, which tracks transponder signals from aircraft, Devin’s flight path showed he was on a southern approach to the airport when his plane went down.

(CJ Baker contributed reporting.)