Southcentral Alaska plane crashes leave 3 people dead

(Courtesy of Alaska State Troopers)

Three group are dormant aft 2 abstracted level crashes successful 2 days successful Southcentral Alaska.

The first clang happened Friday morning. According to authorities troopers, a rescue squad from nan Alaska Rescue Coordination Center recovered a single-engine Champion 7GCBC level adjacent Tustumena Lake connected nan Kenai Peninsula. The pilot, 70-year-old Danny Presley of Happy Valley, and sole passenger, 58-year-old Keith Presley of Ninilchik, were recovered dead.

Clint Johnson is nan National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska chief. He said they’ve done an on-scene investigation, but much activity needs to beryllium done earlier they tin return a person look astatine nan wreckage to effort to find what caused nan crash.

“We are now successful a authorities of trying to get that wreckage retired of there, pinch nan thief nan family, and besides chopper operator, [we] request to beryllium capable to get that wreckage backmost to a amended area truthful we tin return a look astatine it successful a overmuch much controlled environment,” Johnson said.

He said nan information committee doesn’t cognize nan plane’s root aliases intended destination.

The pursuing day, Wasilla’s emergency dispatch received aggregate reports of a level clang successful nan city, according to authorities troopers.

Johnson says nan level flew retired of Anderson Lake Airport earlier crashing successful a residential vicinity and catching connected fire.

The pilot, 71-year-old Jon Bergstedt of Anchorage was recovered dead.

His level was a modified exemplary of a Piper PA-12, a communal craft flown successful nan state. Johnson said this was its first formation aft nan build up.

“We’re going to beryllium looking astatine nan attraction record, nan assembly records connected this and effort to fig retired what happened here,” he said.

He said witnesses besides heard what sounded for illustration a nonaccomplishment of motor powerfulness earlier nan crash.

Johnson expects preliminary reports connected some crashes to travel retired successful nan adjacent week.

Also past weekend, in St. Mary’s successful Southwest Alaska, location was a level clang precocious Sunday that killed each 4 group connected board.