This is a breaking news story that will be updated periodically with new information.
Update: Alaska State Troopers have confirmed that two people were killed in a small plane crash Saturday night in Kasilof. According to troopers, the Cessna 180’s owner and pilot, Brian Nolan, age 69 of Kasilof, and passenger Peter Lahndt, age 57 of Kasilof were declared deceased on scene.
Original story:
At least one man is dead after a plane crashed on Saturday evening near South Cohoe Loop Road in Kasilof.
Alaska State Troopers and Central Emergency Services personnel were called to scene just after 8 p.m. where they found the wreckage of the small airplane in the woods about 150 feet from the road. Debris from the wreckage was scattered over more than 30 feet of heavily wooded area and several trees had scorch marks. The tops of some trees had been taken off by the impact.
Kasilof resident Dan Brown said he was the first on scene after he heard a bang and saw a smoke plume from his nearby house. Brown said he tried to get close to the wreckage while one of his daughters called 9-1-1.
By the time Brown reached the plane flames were “spreading rapidly,” he said.
“It was burning when I got to it, and I couldn’t get the guy out. I tried.” Brown said. “I knew there was no hope of getting in there, so I walked two circles around that thing to see if there was anyone that was ejected out of it.”
Brown said he and his two daughters searched the area around the plane but didn’t find anyone.
By that point, the burning wreckage was popping and shooting debris and Brown said it looked as though the plane was upside down. The first fire truck showed up about 10 minutes after his daughter called 9-1-1, Brown said.
“Stuff was flying everywhere,” Brown said.
For nearly two hours, emergency services vehicles had the road down to one lane as they investigated the scene near Mile 3 of Cohoe Loop. CES personnel responded with two medical units, one water tender unit and one engine. Responders used a ladder truck to survey the scene, but said the fire had been fully extinguished. By 10:30 p.m., they had reopened the road and taped off the scene waiting for the arrival of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB.
A dispatcher from the NTSB said no one was available to release incident details and sent inquiries to a voicemail for a public information officer with the agency.
Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen wrote in an email that her agency was responding to the fatal crash, but she did not provide any further information about the number of people on the plane.
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Wreckage of a small plane smolders in the woods on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at a crash site near South Cohoe Loop Road in Kasilof, Alaska.
Alaska State Trooper Kyle Carson stands near the wreckage of a small plane on Saturday, August 22 near South Cohoe Loop Road.
