A 28-year-old pilot was killed after a Cessna 206 aircraft crashed into the Porcupine River in Alaska. The plane was found partially submerged in the water.
The accident happened on September 24, 2024, in a remote site northwest of the village of Chalkyitsik, which is about 50 miles (80.46 kilometers) east of Fort Yukon and about 170 miles (273.58 kilometers) northeast of Fairbanks.
The death of the pilot, Hannah Dollick, was confirmed on September 25, 2024, along with more details about the accident. The 28-year-old was the only person onboard the aircraft. Clint Johnson, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) of Alaska region, stated that there was no sign of what led to the crash.
The Division of Alaska State Troopers flew to the crash site on the same day to investigate what happened, according to local media reports. When they got to the crash scene, they saw the aircraft partly underwater in the river, with the pilot’s body inside.
The Cessna 206 aircraft, registration N8255Q, was owned by Kavik Aviation Services. This company offers on-demand charters for activities like fishing, hunting, bear viewing, and remote fuel delivery.
On September 25, 2024, Blue River Aviation, an aviation school located in Palmer, Alaska, shared a post on Facebook to express their condolences to the family and friends of the victim.
“It is with heavy hearts that we learned today of the passing of our teammate, friend, and fellow pilot, Hannah Dollick, in an airplane accident in Northern Alaska,” the post said. “Blue River Aviation extends our deepest condolences to Hannah’s loved ones, and we are doing everything we can to support her family and our team during this difficult time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the case. This is the ninth deadly aircraft or helicopter accident in Alaska in 2024 and the fifth in September alone.