Plane With Four On Board Hasn't Been Heard From Since Saturday

A DeHavilland Beaver with a pilot and three park rangers on board has been missing in southwest Alaska since Saturday.

DeHavilland Beaver Floatplane File Photo

The coast guard is assisting in the search for the Beaver, which departed Swikshak Bay at 1445 local time Saturday. The plane was enroute to King Salmon, about 285 miles southwest of Anchorage. The Coast Guard reports that the flight normally takes less than an hour.

The rangers are National Park Service employees assigned to Katmai National Park.

The New York Post reports that another plane left on the same route about 15 minutes behind the plane that is missing, and arrived safely at King Salmon. That pilot said deteriorating weather forced him to descend to about 500 feet and follow a river to his destination.

Katmai National Park Superintendent Ralph Moore said the pilot was very familiar with the area, and had flown the route many times. He said that the plane could have landed somewhere along the route and taken shelter in a remote cove to wait out the storm. He added that the plane's ELT signal could be blocked by mountains in the region.

A statement by the Coast Guard Region 17 indicates that a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew is conducting a first light search between Swikshak Bay and King Salmon.  The morning search is the second search conducted by the Coast Guard after a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew flew late Saturday and early Sunday.

FMI: www.uscg.mil