Update 9:30: The plane that went missing Wednesday in Denali National Park appears to have been found.
A private plane carrying wolf researcher Gordon Haber and pilot Dan McGregor, both of Denali, departed from the airstrip south of the park on Wednesday for a day flight. They were thought to be on a routine flight to study wolves. The two men were reported overdue when they failed to return that night.
Seven aircraft became involved in the search, including four aircraft from the Fairbanks Civil Air Patrol Squadron, an Alaska Wildlife Trooper Cessna 185, an HC-130 from the 211th Rescue Squadron in Anchorage and the National Park Service aircraft. The search was contained to the northern side of the park, where wolves were known to travel.
Aerial searchers located what appears to be the missing Cessna 185 at approximately 3 pm yesterday (Thurs) on a steep slope west of the East Fork of the Toklat River, approximately 7 miles north of the Park Road.
A search plane was able to land later on the river bar and an Alaska State Trooper hiked to the wreckage. The aircraft was substantially damaged by impact and fire, according to the Trooper, but he was able to determine the presence of human remains.
According to Kris Fister, park spokeswoman, the identification of the plane’s occupants, reported to be pilot Dan McGregor, 35, and his passenger Gordon Haber, 67, cannot be confirmed until a thorough investigation takes place. The crash was so damaging that it is impossible to tell how many bodies were in the plane. Fister says it might take awhile before the results are confirmed and the remains are indentified.
Haber has been researching Denali’s wolves since 1966. He was often in the news as an advocate for the wolves of Denali and their habitat preservation. Fister guessed Haber had logged thousands of hours of flight time over Denali studying wolves. McGregor has been a pilot in the summer season for Denali Air for some years, was well respected by his employer and knew Denali terrain well.
The National Park Service and National Transportation Safety Board are continuing the investigation into the crash.
