Three people are presumed dead in the south-central portion of the state on Saturday night. The helicopter had picked up a stranded snowmobiler and was carrying the rider, a state trooper, and a pilot back to Talkeetna when it crashed for unknown reasons.
A National Guard helicopter spotted the crash site at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday. Mandatory crew rest and fog in Anchorage prevented them from launching an air search until 5 a.m.
“This is a huge, profound tragedy for us. We can replace the helicopter, but we can’t replace what went down with it,” said Megan Peters, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers. The National Transportation Safety Board plans to investigate the incident.