Pilot and Passenger Identified in Denali Preserve Crash

Two men are presumed dead after a plane crash in Denali National Park and Preserve last week.

The PA-18 Piper Cub was first reported overdue last Wednesday. An initial search by the Air National Guard that same day was cut short by poor weather. On Thursday, a second flight spotted wreckage of the plane at the bottom of a deep ravine on the West Fork of the Yentna River. Steep terrain prevented the Air National Guard crew from landing. It was determined that the two men assumed to be on board the plane, 45-year-old Jason Tucker of Wasilla and his passenger, 44-year-old Nicolas Blace were unlikely to have survived the crash.

According to the National Park Service, two mountaineering rangers flew to the site Thursday afternoon to determine whether a recovery operation was feasible. The depth and narrowness of the ravine meant that a short-haul recovery would not be possible. The National Park Service, Alaska State Troopers, Rescue Coordination Center, and National Transportation Safety Board have concluded that any potential recovery of the aircraft and the remains of Tucker and Blace would involve “a complex and potentially high-risk ground operation.”

Brooke Merrell, superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve says “Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those involved as we work through this response.”

Mountaineering rangers will continue to determine whether a recovery operation can be conducted in the coming days.