Photo: PA-31 aircraft stock photo, same make / model as reported in crash
Reported by adn.com
ALASKA - A medevac plane from Anchorage with three people on board crashed Friday evening west of Cooper Landing, according to officials.
The Piper PA-31 burned after crashing “under unknown circumstances” 15 miles west of Quartz Creek Airport, according to preliminary information from Ian Gregor, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Pacific division communications manager.
Alaska State Troopers began receiving reports of the crash near Jean Lake shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, troopers said in a report posted online. It was unclear if there were any survivors; troopers said none were expected.
Challenging weather and terrain have hampered responders’ attempts to reach the crash site, according to troopers.
The Security Aviation plane left Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Friday evening — around 6:30 p.m., according to the National Transportation Safety Board — and was heading to the Seward Airport, Security Aviation said in a statement.
The crew was supposed to pick up a patient from Providence Seward Medical Center and return to Anchorage, the statement said.
Two Medevac Alaska crew members were on board when the crash happened, and no patients were being transported at the time, according to operations manager Cory Hughes. Security Aviation said the pilot of the plane — the third person on board — worked for them.
The companies said the plane was reported overdue around 7:15 p.m. Friday.
An aircraft dispatched by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was able to fly over and locate the crash Friday night, “but weather and terrain prevented placing boots on the ground,” troopers spokesman Ken Marsh said. A Department of Public Safety helicopter with an NTSB investigator on board flew over the site Saturday afternoon but wasn’t able to land in the area, according to troopers.
The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group is planning to try to reach the crash site by ground Sunday, troopers said.
The online report referenced above originated via the dispatch report below:
AK19083964
Location: Cooper Landing
Type: SAR/Body Recovery
Dispatch Text:
On 11/29/2019 at approximately 1912 hours, Soldotna Dispatch received multiple reports of an aircraft crash near Jean Lake, west of Cooper Landing. Aircraft dispatched by RCC responded and located the crash site, but was unable to land due to weather and terrain. On 11-30-19 at approximately 1430 hours DPS Helo 3, with NTSB investigator onboard, conducted an overflight of the crash site but was unable to land in the area. The involved aircraft has been identified as a Piper PA31-350 operated by Security Aviation. There were believed to be three souls onboard; no survivors are expected. The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group is organizing a ground response to the crash site on 12-1-19.
Posted on 11/30/2019 4:35:12 PM by DPS\kemarsh
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