Alaska Plane-Crash Updates

The last couple of weeks have been tough, aviation-wise. Two weeks ago, an Air Force cargo jet went down on Elmendorf AFB (next to downtown Anchorage), killing four servicemen. There have been 17 deaths due to downed planes since June 1 ... the unfortunate fact is that it's an average year.

A few days later, a private cargo plane crashed in Denali Nat'l. Park, killing three. Then a plane crashed above the Knik Glacier, stranding five persons at 8500 feet. On Monday, Sen. Stevens' accident occurred, killing five and severely injuring four others.

Monday evening, an Air Guard chopper landed at Knik Glacier to attempt a rescue of the five stranded persons; it slid & rolled over. Then there were twelve people awaiting transportation. They've since been rescued, but it took two more days.

On Thursday, a small plane went down near McGrath, killing two more. A dog was the only survivor.

I don't think I've forgotten any, but that's a lot. We pray that's all.

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We awoke to partly clear skies, with the sun just peeking over the mountains. It's alternating now between blinding sunlight & overcast ... but at least it's not raining. 27 days in a row is enough; just the same, there's a chance of rain today too, which would establish a new record for consecutive days of precip.

The picture here was taken at 7 a.m. Although the sun had been up for awhile, it takes a bit of time for it to get above the mountains. It was brighter at that hour than the photo makes it appear, but if I brighten the trees to the actual level, the sky washes out. I probably need better software; this shot was taken using the "dusk/dawn" setting to catch cloud colors.