02 July 2014

Not Again ...

A male pilot was killed when his plane crashed at Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The crash was reported at 8:24 a.m.


National Transportation Safety Board investigator Cathy Gagne said the pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was in communication with the Merrill Field tower when the plane apparently crashed during takeoff. Merrill Field is a 634-acre patch of airstrips and taxiways, parked small planes and helicopters, one mile east of downtown Anchorage.

The plane, a 1964 Piper PA-12, had been heading west from runway 7/25, the longest of the airport's three runways, Gagne said. She said preliminary information suggests the plane had left the ground when the crash occurred.

 

8 comments:

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Medical issue?

Rev. Paul said...

It'll be some time before we know, sir.

Old NFO said...

Sad story...

Rev. Paul said...

It always is, NFO. And you likely know that better than most.

PioneerPreppy said...

Is it because Alaska has so many more small planes flying around that they seem to get more crashes?

Rev. Paul said...

Preppy, I think that's a big part of it; even now, we have more planes than cars.

Cathy said...

"More planes than cars."
Just so hard to imagine after being on one of our interstate highways in the lower 48 the last few days.

Rev. Paul said...

Well, Cathy, let's keep it in perspective: we don't have an interstate highway. :)