Alaska State Troopers (file photo).

Alaska State Troopers (file photo).

2 dead, 1 hospitalized in Nanwalek plane crash

The crash occurred near the airport Monday afternoon.

Two people are dead and another is hospitalized following a Monday afternoon plane crash in Nanwalek.

Alaska State Troopers received “multiple 911 calls” about a plane crash near the Nanwalek airport that occurred on Monday, April 28, at 1:57 p.m., according to a Tuesday morning dispatch. According to the dispatch, troopers responded to the scene as first responders and “Good Samaritans” in Nanwalek helped provide medical assistance.

One adult male passenger, who remains unnamed, was medevaced to an Anchorage hospital with “serious injuries.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The other two occupants, 48-year-old Homer resident and pilot Daniel Bunker and 37-year-old Anchorage resident Jenny Miller, were killed in the crash. Bunker was a pilot and bear-viewing guide with Smokey Bay Air in Homer.

AST Communications Director Austin McDaniel confirmed Tuesday that the plane was a Cessna 207 operating a commercial flight for Smokey Bay Air. According to a preliminary accident and incident notification from the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft “crashed for unknown reasons on the runway and went into the water at the end of the runway.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the cause of the crash, NTSB media relations spokesperson Peter Knudson confirmed Tuesday.

“An NTSB investigator is traveling to the accident site. After the wreckage is documented, it will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation,” he wrote in an email to Homer News.

A preliminary report is expected within 30 days; the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months, will detail a “probable cause” of the crash along with any contributing factors.

Witnesses to the crash, or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation, are asked to contact NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy posted on Facebook Tuesday morning that he and First Lady Rose Dunleavy were “heartbroken” by the crash.

“We send our deepest condolences to the families of Daniel Bunker and Jenny Miller, and we’re praying for the recovery of the injured passenger,” he wrote.

^

This story was updated on Tuesday with information from NTSB.

More in News

Member Tom Tougas, far right, speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Tourism Industry Working Group in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Tourism working group rejects bed tax, recommends seasonal sales tax adjustment

The document includes a section that says the borough could alternatively leave its tax structure exactly as it is.

The rescued sea otter pup looks at the camera in this undated picture, provided by the Alaska SeaLife Center. (Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center)
Stranded otter pup rescued from Homer beach

She is estimated to be around 2 months old and was found alone by concerned beach walkers.

Kenai Peninsula College Director Cheryl Siemers speaks to graduates during the 55th commencement ceremony at Kachemak Bay Campus on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Kenai Peninsula College leadership sees temporary transitions

KPC Director Cheryl Siemers is serving as interim UAA chancellor, while former KBC director Reid Brewer fills in her role.

Ash-Lee Waddell (center) of Homer is one of six recipients of the 2025 First Lady’s Volunteer Award at the Governor’s Residence in Juneau, Alaska, on May 13, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor
First lady honors Alaska volunteers

Volunteers from Homer and Nikiski were recognized.

The front of the Kenai Police Department as seen on Dec. 10, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Middle schooler reported missing found after 24-hour search

The student was seen leaving Kenai Middle School at around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The Oceania Riviera stands out against a bluebird sky at the Homer Harbor on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Over 1200 passengers from aboard the boat explored Homer throughout the beautiful day. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer tourism season kicks off with arrival of cruise ships

The first cruise ship of the season arrived April 28 with 930 passengers.

tease
‘Tomorrow — remember you are still a learner’

Kachemak Bay Campus graduated 49 students during its 55th annual commencement hosted on May 7.

Mt. Redoubt rises above Cook Inlet and the Anchor River drainage as fireweed is in bloom, as seen from Diamond Ridge Road on Friday, July 22, 2022, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Native plants provide lifeline for local songbirds

Shorebird Festival talk highlights importance of native plants.

Sterling Elementary School students collect trash from the banks of the Kenai River near Bing’s Landing in Sterling, Alaska, during the 10th Annual Kenai River Spring Cleanup on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Cleaning up the mess that’s left behind

Students from six local schools combed for litter during the 10th Annual Kenai River Spring Cleanup.

Most Read