4 people killed in St. Mary’s plane crash

St. Mary’s, Alaska (courtesy of Walton Smith)

Four group are dormant aft a level they were walking successful from Bethel collapsed short of nan runway successful St. Mary’s precocious Sunday night, according to proscription officials.

The Cessna 207 was operated by Bethel-based Yute Commuter Service. The aviator and 3 passengers departed Bethel for nan astir 100-mile travel to nan little Yukon River organization astatine astir 9 p.m. Sunday, according to National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Chief Clint Johnson.

Johnson said nan formation was not operating arsenic 1 of Yute’s regularly scheduled aliases chartered flights.

“This is an in-house flight,” he said. “At slightest 2 of nan folks connected committee are employees, and we’re still trying to benignant retired who nan different folks are there, but astatine slightest 2 of them are institution employees.”

According to National Weather Service data, conditions successful St. Mary’s astatine nan clip of nan clang were overcast, pinch ray rain, fog and mist, and visibility constricted to astir 2 miles.

Johnson said nan level collapsed wrong a half-mile of nan runway astatine St. Mary’s pursuing a petition for what is known arsenic typical ocular formation rules, aliases typical VFR, clearance. 

“Basically, what that allows is nan airplane to get successful nether little than basal VFR conditions, into nan airdrome area and onto nan airdrome aboveground landing there,” he said. “Unfortunately, erstwhile they didn’t arrive, a hunt started soon aft that, and conscionable aft midnight is erstwhile Alaska State Troopers and bully Samaritans recovered nan airplane.”

Johnson said it is excessively early to opportunity what whitethorn person caused nan fatal crash.

According to nan Anchorage Daily News, nan clang is nan third fatal airplane accident successful Alaska successful nan past 4 days. Johnson said an further interrogator is being flown successful from retired of authorities to assist.

“We had to bring an interrogator from nan Lower 48. He arrives present tonight,” Johnson said. “And we besides person a typical from nan airplane shaper successful this case, which is Cessna. So they scheme connected launching retired location tomorrow, upwind permitting, straight to St. Mary’s.”

Yute Commuter Service has had a string of accidents successful caller years. The company’s past fatal clang was successful February 2020, erstwhile a aviator and each 4 passengers died adjacent Tuntutuliak. According to nan NTSB, nan probable origin was nan pilot’s determination to alert successful what whitethorn person been whiteout conditions.

According to Alaska State Troopers, nan names of nan 4 men will beryllium released erstwhile they person been positively identified and adjacent of kin person been notified. Johnson expects a preliminary study connected nan mishap sometime adjacent week.

This is simply a processing communicative and whitethorn beryllium updated pinch further information.