Update: 8:00 p.m.
From Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Beth Ipsen:
"We haven't been able to find the plane so we aren't able to positively identify anyone who died in the crash. There were two skiffs and seven people involved in the search today. We are going back tomorrow with more equipment."
Original story:
Alaska State Troopers are responding to Tikchik Lake after a plane reportedly crashed in the lake Sunday night, with no sign that its pilot survived.
According to a Monday AST dispatch, a hunting guide told Dillingham troopers at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday that the plane had been attempting to land on the lake, about 63 miles north of Dillingham, when it flipped over and sank.
“No one was observed to exit the aircraft while it was sinking,” troopers wrote. “The guide watched the area of the incident and has not observed anyone in the water since the crash.”
Weather conditions, including darkness and fog, have blocked troopers’ efforts to fly to the lake and investigate the crash both Sunday night and Monday.
While troopers have preliminary information regarding the pilot’s identity, it will not be released until troopers can arrive at Tikchik Lake. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have both been notified of the crash.
Contact Chris Klint
