Federal investigators say 2 planes crashed more than 600 miles apart in Alaska almost simultaneously Saturday, killing a total of four people.
KTUU-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2qv2hEF) the National Transportation Safety Board said two died and a third person was injured when their Piper PA-30 went down nine miles southwest of Haines at around 11 a.m. The injured person was flown by helicopter to Juneau for medical treatment.
Authorities said witnesses reported seeing the twin-engine plane crash shortly after takeoff.
UPDATE:
In the plane crash near Haines, the deceased have been identified as the pilot, 29-year old David Kunat of Juneau and an unidentified man from California. Another passenger, 31-year old Chan Valentine of Juneau, survived the crash and was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau for medical treatment. Kunat’s next of kin have been notified and efforts to locate next of kin on the passenger from California are continuing.
Meanwhile, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports (http://bit.ly/2s9nHs9) two people died when a single-engine Arctic Aircraft S-1B2 crashed east of Fairbanks, also at about 11 a.m.
Alaska State Troopers reported late Saturday that both the pilot and passenger died in the crash.
UPDATE:
The victims have been identified as: Sam R. Brice (81 yoa of Fairbanks) and Howard A. “Buzz” Otis (63 yoa of North Pole).
