8/5/18 5:35 Update: K2 Aviation has released a statement regarding the crashed DeHaviland Beaver.
“K2 Aviation continues to wait for updates on the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver carrying four passengers and one pilot that was involved in an incident during a flightseeing tour near the Kahiltna Glacier in Denali National Park & Preserve.
The entire K2 family sends their thoughts and prayers to the families of our guests and the pilot involved in the incident
Search efforts continue and K2 Aviation is cooperating fully with the Alaska State Troopers, the National Park Service, Alaska Air National Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities involved.
We are extremely grateful for the support of our community both here in Talkeetna, and from our tour partners everywhere.
K2 Aviation has canceled flight tours until further notice.
K2 Aviation, in conjunction with the authorities, will continue to share updates as they become available. “
Disclosure: K2 Aviation, the company that operates the crashed plane, is a KTNA underwriter.
A Talkeetna-based flightseeing plane has crashed in the Alaska Range with five people on board
According to the National Park Service, a DeHaviland Beaver that took off shortly after 5:00 pm on Saturday from Talkeetna crashed about an hour later near 11,000 feet of elevation. The plane’s GPS shows that it is on an area unofficially known as Thunder Ridge, fourteen miles southwest of the summit of Denali.
Shortly after the crash the pilot was able to contact K2 Aviation, the company that owns the plane. The pilot reported injuries, but the number and extent of those injuries is currently unknown. The last confirmed contact with the pilot occurred around 7:00 pm on Saturday.
Search and rescue teams from the National Park Service and Alaska’s Rescue Coordination Center were unable to spot the downed aircraft on Saturday due to poor weather conditions.
According to the National Park Service, the plane has emergency supplies on board, including sleeping bags, food, and a stove for boiling water.
Military aircraft are continuing overflights of the area in hopes of spotting the crashed plane, and the National Park Service has a ground support team on standby to deploy to the base of Thunder Mountain in the event a short-haul or military hoist rescue is possible.
At this time, K2 Aviation is directing media inquiries to the National Park Service, but a statement from the company may be forthcoming this afternoon.
The names of the pilot and passengers have not yet been released.
This is a developing story. We will report additional details as they become available.
