Fishing lodge's floatplane crashes in Alaska; 3 dead, 7 hurt
Posted: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:40 am | Updated: 5:33 pm, Tue Sep 15, 2015.
Associated Press |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A floatplane carrying fishing guides and clients crashed Tuesday near a scenic lake in rural southwest Alaska, killing three of the out-of-state clients and injuring all seven other people on board, some critically, authorities said.
The plane was taking off to head to a remote fishing spot in a river when it went down outside the tiny town of liamna, 175 miles southwest of Anchorage, National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Chief Clint Johnson said.
The aircraft - a De Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter on floats - belonged to an liamna fishing lodge. It ended up in some trees near Eastwind Lake, a mile north of town.
Alaska State Troopers identified the dead as Tony W. Degroot, 80, of Hanford, California; James P. Fletcher, 70, of Clovis, California; and James Specter, 69, of Shavertown, Pennsylvania. Their bodies were recovered and were being sent for an autopsy by the state medical examiner's office, troopers said.
The three were staying as clients at the Rainbow King Lodge, which owned the plane, Johnson said. Calls to the business went unanswered.
The Alaska Air National Guard flew five of the more seriously injured survivors to Anchorage. The five were first flown to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, then transported by ambulance to a hospital or hospitals, Guard Staff Sgt. Edward Eagerton said.
Some of the seven injured were critically hurt, while two sustained minor injuries, Johnson said. Their names were not released.
Johnson added it was "way too early for any speculation" on what caused the crash. Two NTSB investigators were heading to Iliamna on Tuesday, with one arriving mid-afternoon, he said.
The picturesque Eastwind Lake is fairly small and regularly used for floatplane traffic, said Diana Armstrong, who works at a local trading post.
In late June, another DHC-3 Otter crashed in a mountainous area in southeast Alaska, killing all nine people on board.
The sightseeing plane crashed on a steep cliff about 25 miles from Ketchikan, killing the pilot and eight cruise ship passengers. The excursion was sold through the cruise company Holland America and operated by Ketchikan-based Promech Air.
Another Otter was involved in an August 2010 crash in Alaska that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and four others.
Tuesday's crash was the ninth fatal plane crash in Alaska this year, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said. Altogether, there were 20 deaths among those crashes, he said.
Updated 2 p.m.: ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A floatplane belonging to a fishing lodge crashed during takeoff Tuesday in southwest Alaska, killing three people and injuring the other seven on board, authorities said.
The injured passengers were being flown to Anchorage hospitals following the crash near the small community of Iliamna, 175 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Five people were badly hurt, including some critically, and two others sustained minor injuries, National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Chief Clint Johnson said.
Alaska State Troopers said the three dead were from outside the state but didn't know about the others. Rescue personnel initially took injured passengers to a local clinic.
Johnson said the plane belonged to the Rainbow King Lodge. Calls to the business went unanswered.
The plane crashed on takeoff at Eastwind Lake, a mile north of Iliamna, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email to The Associated Press. It was a De Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter on floats, he said.
The cause of the crash was not yet known. "Way too early for any speculation," Johnson said.
Johnson said the plane came to rest in some trees. Two NTSB investigators were heading to Iliamna on Tuesday, he said.
In late June, another DHC-3 Otter crashed in a mountainous area in southeast Alaska, killing all nine people on board.
The sightseeing plane crashed on a steep cliff about 25 miles from Ketchikan, killing the pilot and eight cruise ship passengers. The excursion was sold through the cruise company Holland America and operated by Ketchikan-based Promech Air.
Another Otter was involved in an August 2010 crash in Alaska that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and four others.
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Updated 1:30 p.m.: ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Three people died and others were injured Tuesday after a floatplane belonging to a fishing lodge crashed with 10 people on board in southwest Alaska, authorities said.
Alaska State Troopers said the three dead were from outside the state.
The injured passengers were being flown to Anchorage hospitals following the crash near the small community of Iliamna, 175 miles southwest of Anchorage. It's unclear how many people were hurt.
Local residents said the plane belongs to the Rainbow King Lodge. Calls to the business went unanswered.
Rescue personnel initially took injured passengers to the clinic in Iliamna.
The plane crashed on takeoff at Eastwind Lake, 1 mile north of the community, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer. It was a De Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter on floats, he said.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Chief Clint Johnson said the plane came to rest in some trees. Two NTSB investigators were heading to Iliamna later in the day, he said.
In late June, another DHC-3 Otter crashed in a mountainous area in southeast Alaska, killing all nine people on board.
The sightseeing plane crashed on a steep cliff about 25 miles from Ketchikan, killing the pilot and eight cruise ship passengers. The excursion was sold through the cruise company Holland America and operated by Ketchikan-based Promech Air.
12:08 p.m.: Alaska State Troopers say three people are dead of the 10 aboard the floatplane. Others are injured.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Authorities say a floatplane with 10 people aboard has crashed in southwest Alaska, killing an unknown number of people.
Alaska State Troopers say fatalities occurred in the wreck Tuesday near Iliamna, but they didn't know how many. They say rescue personnel are taking injured passengers to the clinic in the small community.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer says in an email to The Associated Press that the plane crashed on takeoff at Eastwind Lake, 1 mile north of Iliamna. He says the aircraft was a De Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter on floats, and the cause of the crash is not yet known.
Clint Johnson with the National Transportation Safety Board says authorities believe the plane belongs to an area lodge, but he declined to immediately identify it.
Iliamna is about 175 miles southwest of Anchorage.
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