Monday, October 19, 2009

Investigation Concluded at Airplane Crash Site in Denali National Park

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park:

Personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Park Service concluded their on-scene investigation of the crash site above the East Fork of the Toklat River in Denali National Park and Preserve at approximately 3:00 p.m. today. All personnel have been airlifted from the scene. The remains of Gordon Haber, 67, of Denali Park, have been removed from the aircraft wreckage and will be released to the Office of the State Medical Examiner. Working with the owner, park rangers are developing a plan to remove the plane wreckage.

Pilot Dan McGregor, 35, of Denali Park remains at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, undergoing treatment for burns. McGregor not only survived the crash, but walked approximately 20 miles from the crash site to the Igloo Creek Campground, where he encountered two campers from New Hampshire late Thursday night. Nicholas Rodrick and Jesse Hoagland walked four miles with McGregor to the Teklanika River Rest Area, where their car was parked, and drove him to his home just outside the park boundary. They returned to the campground today to retrieve their camping equipment.

No additional information about the accident will be available until the NTSB has completed their investigation.

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