Boy's Father, Second Adult Took Off On Scouting Trip

What was supposed to be a short jaunt to scout for sheep turned a hunting trip into a nightmare and left a teenager stranded in the woods of northeast Alaska this week.

Two adults and a 15 year-old boy flew to their hunting camp Monday north of Arctic Village, near Cane Creek, about 500 miles northeast of Anchorage. Shortly after arriving at the site, the boy's father and the other adult with them took off again in their Maule M5 (type shown below), to scout for Dall sheep. The trip was only supposed to last about half an hour.

They never returned.

Alaska Air National Guard officials were alerted late Wednesday by the Rescue Coordination Center at Fort Richardson after a pilot flying over the area saw an SOS signal set up by the teenager. The plane landed and that pilot discovered the teen had been alone there since Monday. The pilot then notified authorities, said Capt. Guy Hayes of the Alaska Guard, according to the Associated Press.

Eielson Air Force base sent an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter Thursday for a search and rescue attempt and the wreckage of a plane on the side of a mountain with what appeared to be two bodies in it was discovered. That the wreckage is that of the hunting party has not yet been officially confirmed.

According to Clint Johnson, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the wreckage was discovered at 4,000 feet above sea level, 40 to 50 miles north of Arctic Village and has been consumed by fire.

The North Slope Borough Police Department has jurisdiction over the site, said spokesperson Lt. Kelly Alzaharna. There are current plans to send a team to the scene Friday morning, pending flyable weather, she said.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 5660F        Make/Model: M5        Description: M-5, Strata Rocket, Lunar Rocket, Patrol
  Date: 08/16/2007     Time: 0000

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: ARCTIC VILLAGE              State: AK   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED, 30 MILES NORTH OF ARCTIC VILLAGE, AK

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: FAIRBANKS, AK  (AL01)                 Entry date: 08/17/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ak-prepared.com