Category: Alaska

Remains of Helicopter Crash Victims Recovered From Alaska Lake

Search and rescue officials in Alaska have recovered the bodies of four Americans who died in a helicopter crash last week when it went down in a shallow lake located in the northernmost borough of the state. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) mourned the loss of the victims in a statement on July…


Dive Team Deployed After Helicopter Crashes Into Alaska Lake; All 4 on Board Presumed Dead

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—A rescue and recovery dive team was deployed Saturday after a helicopter with a pilot and three state workers crashed in a large lake on Alaska’s North Slope, officials said. No survivors have been located. “The official word is, they are missing, presumed fatal,” said Clint Johnson, the chief of the National Transportation Safety…


Alaska Volcano’s Weeklong Eruption Eases After Spewing Another Massive Ash Cloud

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—An ongoing eruption of a remote volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands produced an ash cloud so large Tuesday that warnings were sent to pilots about potentially dangerous conditions. An ash cloud with an initial height of around 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometers) was reported following the morning eruption of Shishaldin Volcano. But by early afternoon,…


Earthquake Off the Alaska Coast Triggers Brief Tsunami Advisory, Sending Some Residents to Shelters

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake triggered a brief tsunami advisory for southern Alaska late Saturday, but the advisory was canceled about an hour later, monitoring bodies reported. The earthquake was felt widely throughout the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula and Cook Inlet regions, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. In Kodiak, Alaska, sirens warned of a…


Alaska Volcano Spews Ash Cloud High Enough to Draw Weather Service Warning for Pilots

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—An erupting volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands sent a towering cloud of ash into the air Friday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an inflight warning to pilots. The Shishaldin Volcano began erupting July 11, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. A U.S. Coast Guard overflight confirmed lava erupted the same day within…


Piercing Through Alaska’s Wilderness by Train

“Folks, it’s 300 feet straight down to the bottom of Hurricane Gulch,” the Alaska Railroad conductor declares, “and … hold on. I don’t know why we’ve paused. Let me find out.” Passengers glance at each other quizzically, peering out the window to see that, yes, it’s a long, long way down to the bottom of…


Small Plane That Crashed in Rural Alaska, Killing 2, Apparently Struck Tree, Official Says

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—A small plane that crashed in Alaska last month, killing a bush pilot who was featured on a reality TV show and a hunting guide, apparently struck a tree during takeoff from a rural airstrip, an official said Tuesday. Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Alaska region chief, told Alaska Public Media…


Plane Crash Kills ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ Pilot Jim Tweto and Idaho Hunting Guide

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Bush pilot Jim Tweto, known for his starring role in the Discovery Channel’s “Flying Wild Alaska” series, was killed along with a hunting and fishing guide from Idaho when their small plane crashed shortly after takeoff, Alaska State Troopers said. Tweto’s family-run rural aviation business in Unalakleet was featured in three seasons of the…


Authorities Recover Bodies of 2 Sisters After Vessel Found Submerged in Alaska; 2 Still Missing

JUNEAU, Alaska—Authorities have recovered the bodies of two sisters onboard a fishing charter boat that was found partially submerged off southeast Alaska amid rough seas. Two others remain missing from the charter, which was taken by two vacationing couples. Alaska State Troopers said they believe the bodies are those of Danielle Agcaoili, 53, of Waipahu,…


Authorities Recover 3 Bodies After Vessel Found Submerged in Alaska; 2 Still Missing

JUNEAU, Alaska—Authorities have recovered the bodies of two sisters onboard a fishing charter boat that was found partially submerged off southeast Alaska amid rough seas. Two others remain missing from the charter, which was taken by two vacationing couples. Alaska State Troopers said they believe the bodies are those of Danielle Agcaoili, 53, of Waipahu,…