3 feared dead as Alaska Troopers copter crashes

(AP) 3 feared dead as Alaska Troopers copter crashes
By DAN JOLING
Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
Authorities say the three people aboard an Alaska State Trooper helicopter that crashed as it returned are feared dead.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters says the aircraft was carrying a state trooper, a pilot for the troopers and a rescued snowmobiler when it went down Saturday night.

She says the crash site was spotted Sunday and no survivors have been found. She says that though the three are feared dead, their deaths haven’t been confirmed.

Wreckage of the helicopter burned, but Peters said it was not known how the fire started or how long it lasted.

The trooper helicopter was on a mission to pick up a snowmobiler stranded near Larson Lake 7 miles east of Talkeetna in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

An Alaska State Trooper helicopter crashed as it returned from a rescue mission and authorities say all three people aboard are feared dead.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters says the aircraft was carrying a state trooper, a pilot employed by the troopers and a rescued snowmobiler when it went down Saturday night.

She says the crash site was spotted Sunday and no survivors have been found, but she stressed that she could not confirm that the three on board were killed.

Wreckage of the helicopter burned, but Peters said it was not known how the fire started or how long it lasted.

The trooper helicopter was on a mission to pick up a snowmobiler stranded near Larson Lake 7 miles east of Talkeetna in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The helicopter picked up a trooper and began a search, spotting the snowmobile and landing just before 10 p.m. It took off with the snowmobiler and was supposed to meet medics near Talkeetna but did not arrive.

The National Weather Service said the temperature in Talkeetna Sunday night was 34 with light rain that turned into snow at about 11 p.m., but that visibility was 10 miles.

Peters said it’s not known if weather was a factor in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

Alaska Air National Guard helicopter spokeswoman Kalei Rupp said fog in Anchorage and mandatory crew rest kept an agency helicopter from launching until 5 a.m.

A guard helicopter spotted the wreckage at 9:20 a.m. Sunday and landed.

Talkeetna is a community of nearly 900 about 80 miles north of Anchorage. It’s the primary departure point for air taxis taking climbers to Mount McKinley.

The crash site was near the south end of Larson Lake.

The Alaska State Troopers have had at least one officer die in a helicopter crash during a search and rescue mission.

Trooper John David Stimson was on a chartered helicopter in 1983 that was attempting to reach a downed pilot in a blizzard. The chartered helicopter crashed near Cordova.

Stimson survived and assisted pilot Gary Wiltrout, who had suffered a broken back. However, when rescuers reached the crash site after 24 hours, the 11-year trooper had died of exposure. Wiltrout survived.