Rescuers unable to land in crash site’s steep terrain; ‘It does not appear … that this was a survivable accident”
Authorities say the Wednesday crash of a small plane in Denali National Park and Preserve — spotted from the air by rescuers who haven't been able to reach it — likely killed anyone aboard.
Alaska Air National Guard rescue personnel flew around the southwest corner of Denali National Park and Preserve Thursday morning after getting an alert Wednesday night about an overdue pilot. Park spokesperson Sharon Stiteler says the aircrew spotted the wreckage of a small airplane, but was unable to land in the steep terrain.
“The Alaska Guard Rescue Coordination Center found aircraft wreckage in a narrow ravine,” Stiteler said. “And, at the time, it wasn’t safe to land.”
Alaska National Guard spokesperson Alan Brown said Thursday the Rescue Coordination Center plans to fly into the area again this morning, weather permitting.
“We launched a UH-60 Pavehawk helicopter with some para-rescuemen aboard to go search,” Brown said, “and that search is ongoing.”
National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Region Chief Clint Johnson said the Guard rescuers flew into the area Thursday morning and got a look at the wreckage before having to leave because of bad weather.
“They returned (Thursday) morning -- they reported back around mid-morning or so,” he said. “They were able to overfly the wreckage. It does not appear, from their estimation, that this was a survivable accident.”
Johnson says another flight into the area was scheduled for later Thursday to try to get a second look at the wreckage from the air. And he says the NTSB official in charge of the investigation hopes to get back to the site this morning and take a closer look on the ground “as long as we can get in there safely, if terrain conditions allow, and weather conditions allow.
Johnson says the crew aboard the second flight identified the aircraft as a Piper PA-18 Supercub. But he says the NTSB is withholding the plane’s tail number and victim’s name until next-of-kin is notified. He said the agency won’t know whether there was a passenger on board until the investigator can check out the site, on the ground. And he says it appears the flight was hunting-related.
“This airplane was supporting a hunting group,” Johnson said, “and we don’t know if it was on the outbound trip or the inbound trip.”
Stiteler said Thursday that the Park Service didn’t have any information to release on the aircraft or its pilot. But she says it makes sense that it could’ve been a hunter.
“There are a number of reasons that someone could be going into that area of the park this time of year, up to and including for hunting,” she said.
Johnson says NTSB should have more information Friday afternoon. He says the investigation is ongoing.