Two Alaskan men tragically lost their lives in a plane crash on Wednesday in the southwest preserve of Denali National Park and Preserve, near the Yentna River. The victims were identified as 45-year-old Jason Tucker of Wasilla, the pilot, and his passenger, 44-year-old Nicolas Blace from Chugiak. The Piper PA-18 aircraft they were flying in crashed into a ravine, and neither man survived the accident.
Brooke Merrell, the superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve, expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. She stated that the thoughts of the park staff were with the families and loved ones of the deceased as they processed the tragic event.
The crash site was discovered during an investigation by National Park Service rangers. They were alerted to the situation by a hunter who had been waiting at a remote airstrip for a pilot who never arrived. The hunter had been hunting with Blace and was supposed to be picked up by Tucker. The hunter then used a satellite communication device to inform friends of the situation, who then notified the authorities. Alaska State Troopers subsequently rescued the stranded hunter.
The crash site was located in a narrow ravine north of the Yentna River’s West Fork. Initial attempts to reach the site by the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center were unsuccessful due to adverse weather conditions. A subsequent flight on Thursday morning located the wreckage, but the steep terrain prevented a landing. Observations of the wreckage led to the conclusion that the crash was unsurvivable.
Recovery efforts were complicated by the challenging terrain. The narrow ravine, the lack of shoreline on the Yentna River, the rapid river waters, and the loose rock lining the ravine made it impossible to recover the plane by helicopter. An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board, accompanied by Denali National Park mountaineering rangers, visited the site on Friday and used a drone to collect images.
The recovery operation involved teams from the National Park Service, the National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska State Troopers, and the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center. The complexity and potentially high risk of the operation necessitated further assessments to determine the feasibility of a ground operation to recover the aircraft.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. The remains of the two men and their aircraft are still at the base of the steep ravine. Officials have agreed that a retrieval mission would be too dangerous due to the challenging terrain and conditions.