Plane crash in Alaska kills 9, injures 1

Associated Press

DILLINGHAM, Alaska — Nine people were killed and one critically injured Wednesday morning when a PenAir commuter airliner crashed after taking off from the airport in Dillingham.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Alaska state troopers said the plane, a Cessna 208 Caravan, was bound for King Salmon, about 75 miles away, when it crashed almost immediately after taking off. Dillingham is on Bristol Bay, 330 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The plane, a single-engine aircraft that can carry up to 14 people, crashed into the tundra about two miles from the end of runway, said Richard Harding, vice president of operations for PenAir, Alaska’s biggest commuter airline. He said the plane had a pilot and nine passengers on board.

Hans Nicholson, subsistence coordinator for the Bristol Bay Native Association, saw the Cessna go down about a mile from his office.

The Cessna was flying low, as usual for commuter planes taking off from Dillingham. Suddenly the left wing dipped and the nose pointed up before the plane was "completely upside-down," Nicholson said.

The plane then nose-dived.

"It went vertical," Nicholson said. "It virtually quit flying and went straight down."

Most of the passengers were from south of the King Salmon area. The plane also was scheduled to go on to Chignik. Names of the victims were withheld pending notification of relatives.

At least eight of the nine passengers on board were connected to the native association, a community and social service agency serving 32 communities in the Bristol Bay area, including the Alaska Peninsula, said the association’s chief operating officer, Terry Hoefferle.

Hoefferle said four of the association’s 38 board members were on the flight. Three staffers, including the only survivor, were on board, as was an association home-care client, a senior citizen able to live in her home with help from the association.

All four board members were from villages on the Alaska Peninsula, Hoefferle said.

The association is the social service arm of Bristol Bay Native Corp., one of 13 regional corporations created in under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement.

The injured passenger, a woman, was in critical condition at Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham, said spokesman Ralph Andrew.

Harding said there were no calls indicating the plane was in trouble. And he said there was no evidence the plane exploded.

"There was no explosion, no fire," he said.

The plane had no previous reports of trouble and it was fairly new, Harding said. Temperatures were in the low to mid-30s, skies were clear and no wind was reported, said trooper spokesman Greg Wilkinson.

The National Transportation Safety Board will send investigators to the site, said Scott Erickson in the Anchorage office.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens schools bond leading early; Arlington voters reject latest levy attempt

A $314 million bond looks to pass while Arlington’s attempts to build a new Post Middle School again appear to take a step back.

The second floor of the Lynnwood Crisis Center on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Funding gap leaves Lynnwood without a crisis center provider

The idea for the Lynnwood crisis center began in 2021 after a 47-year-old died by suicide while in custody at Lynnwood Municipal Jail.

Three seriously injured after head-on collision on Highway 522

The crash between Monroe and Maltby happened around 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Fernando Espinoza salts the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue South on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Think this is cold, Snohomish County? Wait until Tuesday

Tuesday could bring dangerous wind chill during the day and an overnight low of 19 degrees

The Washington State Department of Licensing office is seen in 2018 in Seattle. (Sue Misao / The Herald)
Drivers licensing offices to close Feb. 14-17

Online services are also not available Feb. 10-17. The Washington State Department of Licensing said the move is necessary to upgrade software.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.