Mon, Aug 23, 2010
Plane With Four On Board Hasn't Been Heard From Since
Saturday
A DeHavilland Beaver with a pilot and three park rangers on
board has been missing in southwest Alaska since Saturday.
DeHavilland Beaver Floatplane File Photo
The coast guard is assisting in the search for the Beaver, which
departed Swikshak Bay at 1445 local time Saturday. The plane was
enroute to King Salmon, about 285 miles southwest of Anchorage. The
Coast Guard reports that the flight normally takes less than an
hour.
The rangers are National Park Service employees assigned to
Katmai National Park.
The New York Post reports that another plane left on the same
route about 15 minutes behind the plane that is missing, and
arrived safely at King Salmon. That pilot said deteriorating
weather forced him to descend to about 500 feet and follow a river
to his destination.
Katmai National Park Superintendent Ralph Moore said the pilot
was very familiar with the area, and had flown the route many
times. He said that the plane could have landed somewhere along the
route and taken shelter in a remote cove to wait out the storm. He
added that the plane's ELT signal could be blocked by mountains in
the region.
A statement by the Coast Guard Region 17 indicates that a Coast
Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew is conducting a first light
search between Swikshak Bay and King Salmon. The morning
search is the second search conducted by the Coast Guard after a
MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew flew late Saturday and early
Sunday.
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