Small Plane Missing in Alaska

LINK

Updated 3:27 PM ET February 6, 2000

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A small airplane flying six people to a rural village disappeared in the rugged terrain of southwest Alaska. Officials with the Alaska National Guard said the Cessna 206, operated by Iliamna Air Taxi, left Iliamna Saturday afternoon and was expected to arrive in the village of Koliganek about 50 minutes later. The plane was reported overdue Saturday evening when it failed to return to Iliamna, about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage. It had never arrived in Koliganek.

A search Saturday night was halted by heavy snow and whiteout conditions.

The Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska State Troopers and volunteers from Iliamna were searching for the plane by air Sunday.

-- Gerry Rivers (grivers@caponi.123), February 06, 2000

Answers

Gerry, I don't mean to sound heartless here, BUT small planes crash and kill people just ALL THE TIME. I want to know what is special about this news flash that is something that we really need to know. Now, if this was about another MD-80, then this would be news.

-- (formerly@nowhere.zzz), February 06, 2000.

Also, they're no computers or embedded chips on workhorse 206's in the bush. Accidents such as these are 95% terrain and weather related and like the gentlemen said are almost always fatal. With small general aviation aircraft such as these, equipment failures most always incorporate a forced landing with shaken nerves with no death. Everybody lives to talk about it!

-- John Thomas (cjseed@webtv.net), February 06, 2000.

After the whiteout condition dissipates, they should look in the Capone vault

-- geraldo (rivera@capone.net), February 06, 2000.

Gerry:

Nobody on this board gives a flying f**k about what happens in AK. We dont exist. They would much rater hear about sewer leaks in ? or utility bills dated Feb 10,1900.

-- Capt Dennis (capden@hotmail.com), February 07, 2000.

Nobody on this board gives a flying f**k about what happens in AK. We dont exist. They would much rater hear about sewer leaks in ? or utility bills dated Feb 10,1900.

Yeah, no kidding. Heartless jerks.

Here's an update for those who care. Heartless jerks can ignore. Or maybe they'd like to make some more funny jokes about it.

Six Killed in Alaska Commuter Plane Crash LINK

Updated 1:36 AM ET February 7, 2000

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A Cessna 206 crashed this weekend in rural, southwest Alaska, killing all six people aboard the commuter flight, Alaska state troopers said on Sunday.

Wreckage of the Iliamna Air Taxi aircraft was spotted on Sunday afternoon by another company pilot, the troopers said. An Alaska Army National Guard crew flew to the site and reported that there were no survivors, the troopers said.

The wrecked plane was reported overdue on Saturday night. It was bound from Iliamna, a village about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, for Koligenak, a village about 90 miles west of Iliamna, the troopers said.

The plane crashed about halfway between the two villages, the troopers said.

Poor weather on Saturday delayed the search for the plane, trooper spokesman Tim DeSpain said.

The names of the victims -- five passengers and the pilot -- were not released on Sunday.

-- (daveO@quedfire.net), February 07, 2000.