Boy's Father, Second Adult Took Off On Scouting Trip
What was supposed to be
a short jaunt to scout for sheep turned a hunting trip into a
nightmare and left a teenager stranded in the woods of northeast
Alaska this week.
Two adults and a 15 year-old boy flew to their hunting camp
Monday north of Arctic Village, near Cane Creek, about 500 miles
northeast of Anchorage. Shortly after arriving at the site, the
boy's father and the other adult with them took off again in their
Maule M5 (type shown below), to scout for Dall sheep. The trip was
only supposed to last about half an hour.
They never returned.
Alaska Air National Guard officials were alerted late Wednesday
by the Rescue Coordination Center at Fort Richardson after a pilot
flying over the area saw an SOS signal set up by the teenager. The
plane landed and that pilot discovered the teen had been alone
there since Monday. The pilot then notified authorities, said Capt.
Guy Hayes of the Alaska Guard, according to the Associated
Press.
Eielson Air Force base sent an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter
Thursday for a search and rescue attempt and the wreckage of a
plane on the side of a mountain with what appeared to be two bodies
in it was discovered. That the wreckage is that of the hunting
party has not yet been officially confirmed.
According to Clint Johnson, an investigator for the National
Transportation Safety Board, the wreckage was discovered at 4,000
feet above sea level, 40 to 50 miles north of Arctic Village and
has been consumed by fire.
The North Slope Borough Police Department has jurisdiction over
the site, said spokesperson Lt. Kelly Alzaharna. There are current
plans to send a team to the scene Friday morning, pending flyable
weather, she said.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 5660F
Make/Model: M5
Description: M-5, Strata Rocket, Lunar Rocket, Patrol
Date: 08/16/2007 Time: 0000
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: ARCTIC
VILLAGE
State: AK Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO
PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, 30 MILES NORTH OF ARCTIC VILLAGE, AK
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 2
# Crew: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: FAIRBANKS, AK
(AL01)
Entry date: 08/17/2007