Helicopter crash near Knik Glacier kills 5, leaving sole survivor in serious condition
- Author: Annie Berman
- Updated: 17 minutes ago
- Published 6 hours ago
- Five are dead and one survivor is in serious condition after a helicopter crashed Saturday night in the area of Knik Glacier, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, a backcountry ski resort northwest of Anchorage, said in a written statement Sunday evening the helicopter was on a heli-ski outing and carrying two ski guides, three lodge guests and a pilot.
A team from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was dispatched to the crash site just after 10 p.m. on Saturday,
troopers wrote, after state troopers received a report of an overdue helicopter and the location of possible crash debris. It wasn’t immediately clear from the trooper statement whether the crash site was on or near the glacier.
The deceased were identified Sunday evening as 52-year-old Colorado resident Gregory Harms, 56-year-old Czech Republic resident Petr Kellner, 50-year-old Czech Republic resident Benjamin Larochaix, 38-year-old Girdwood resident Sean McMannany, and pilot 33-year-old Anchorage, Alaska resident Zach Russel.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Troopers wrote that the rescue team arrived to find five occupants of helicopter dead and one survivor, who was transported for medical care. “The survivor remains in serious but stable condition, and is receiving medical care at an Anchorage area hospital,” troopers wrote Sunday evening.
By Sunday evening, the five bodies from the crash site had been recovered, and next of kin for the deceased had been notified, state troopers reported.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge had chartered the helicopter from Soloy Helicopters, a Wasilla-based charter company, according to a spokeswoman for the lodge. The lodge bills itself as a luxury multi-sport resort, and offers guided heli-skiing trips through the winter that start at $15,000 per person.“This news is devastating to our staff, the community in which we operate and the families of the deceased. In 17 years of operations this is the first time we’ve had to face an event of this measure,” read a statement from the lodge.
The Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Army National Guard, and Alaska Mountain Rescue Group attempted recovery efforts at the crash site Sunday, troopers wrote, and next of kin notifications are ongoing.
A
flight restriction that was put in place in the area of Knik Glacier for a recovery mission was lifted Sunday evening.
Helicopter crash near Knik Glacier kills 5, leaving sole survivor in serious condition - Anchorage Daily News (adn.com)
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The NTSB is investigating the crash Saturday evening of an Airbus AS 350 B3 helicopter in Palmer, Alaska. An investigator is headed to the crash scene.