Here's the latest info from the Coast Guard public information web site.
Office of Public Affairs.
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District
Date: Jan. 5, 2008
Contact: Public Affairs
Phone: 907-463-2065
907-463-2069
907-487-5700
COAST GUARD, KODIAK POLICE, ALASKA STATE TROOPERS RESPOND TO DOWNED AIRCRAFT
KODIAK, Alaska-The Coast Guard, Kodiak Police Dept., and Alaska State Troopers are responding to a downed aircraft 100 yards northeast of Kodiak Airport.
A Servant Air, Piper Navajo Chieftain carrying 10 people crashed at 1:48 p.m. this afternoon after take-off near runway 36.
Four passengers were immediately recovered by a Trident Seafoods float plane that was near the area. One other passenger was recovered by a Coast Guard rescue helicopter.
Five remaining people are currently being recovered by Alaska State Troopers and Kodiak Police divers.
The first five recovered passengers were taken to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center, where four people are in stable condition; the remaining six passengers' conditions are unknown.
The plane originally submerged after crashing into the waters near runway 36; the tide near the crash area has since receded.
Weather at the time of the crash was 20 knot winds with clear skies.
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6 comments:
This is absolutely awful. You couldn't see a single parking space at the hosptial this afternoon. We're a small town, this is gonna hit hard. The news at 6PM was just about useless. Let's keep our neighbors in our thoughts and prayers.
Amen.
Six people die in Kodiak plane crash
By KYLE HOPKINS and JAMES HALPIN
Daily News staff | khopkins@adn.com
Published: January 5th, 2008 06:56 PM
Last Modified: January 5th, 2008 06:58 PM
An airplane that tried to turn back to the Kodiak airport just minutes after taking off nose-dived into the harbor, killing six people and injuring four others Saturday afternoon,according to the Federal Aviation Adminitration and National Transportation Safety Board.
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Nine passengers and one pilot were on thePiper-PA-31 Navajo, operated by Servant Air, which was taking off for Homer when it crashed at 1:48 p.m.about 50 yards offshore, said NTSB investigator Clint Johnson.
At least two of the survivors were being medevaced to Anchorage for treatment of their injuries, he said.
The chartered aircraft had taken off from the Kodiak airport just minutes before, but may have been experiencing mechanical problems that forced it to return, he said.
"He radioed back that he needed to return for an uspecified reason," Johnson said.
Johnson did not identify the pilot, but the aircraft was owned by Wes Osowski, according to the FAA. He is listed as a pilot on Servant Air's Web site.
The plane submerged after crashing into the water near runway 36.
Weather at the time of the crash was 20 knot winds with clear skies.
Kodiak Harbormaster Marty Owen said four people wererecoveredby a Beaver floatplane that pulled up alongside the wreck shortly after the plane went down.
"A fifth managed to get to shore himself, and then there were five that were removed from the aircraft," Owensaid.
Five people were initially brought to Providence Kodiak Medical Center, one of whom was already deceased, said Providence Alaska Medical spokesman John Callahan.
According to the Coast Guard,the floatplane wasoperated byAndrew Airways. ACoast Guard helicopter recovered another passenger, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane.
Thedowned double-engined plane was still being extricated from the water so an NTSB investigation could begin, Johnson said.
The aircraft was at first fully submerged, then, as the tide went out, it began to show itself, Owen said. He wouldn't discuss the condition of the aircraft, but said it was in "bad shape."
The NTSB is beginning its investigation Saturday night, said Johnson, who was on his way to the scene.
Reach Kyle Hopkins at khopkins@adn.com or 257-4334. Reach James Halpin at jhalpin@adn.com or 257-4589.
This video is on the USCG site
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=207007
My prayers and thoughts are with pilot Robin Starrett's family, the other five who perished and the three still in the hospital. As a community, I know we will all be there to provide whatever support we can give the survivors and the families of those lost. Ish, if a fund or other opportunity comes up to help, please post the details here so those of us off the rock can help.
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