A Cessna 208 carrying eight people made a harrowing landing Friday afternoon at Merrill Field Airport, dodging busy rush-hour traffic near the start of the Glenn Highway, and crashing through the airport’s perimeter fence before finally coming to a stop in a vacant field.
The incident occurred just before 4 pm, prompting an immediate dispatch of Anchorage Fire Department and Anchorage Police. However, many emergency crews were cleared before they even arrived on scene, the fire department reported, as it quickly became clear that no one on board had sustained serious injuries.
The aircraft is registered to Hinterland Holdings LLC, an Anchorage-based company that owns Alaska Air Transit, a regional charter service operating in Alaska since the 1990s and owned by Alaskans. The company specializes in passenger charter and cargo service across the state.
Miraculously, all eight occupants of the aircraft walked away without the need for medical treatment, aside from what fire officials described as a “courtesy ride” from the scene. The Anchorage Fire Department remarked that “the best calls are the ones where our technical services aren’t needed.”
Merrill Field, located just east of downtown Anchorage, is one of the most active general aviation airports in Alaska and plays a crucial role in connecting the city with remote villages and bush communities. The airport is home to over 800 aircraft, including 786 single-engine planes, 41 multi-engine planes, 16 helicopters, and even a glider.
Where the plane touched down is near where East 5th Avenue becomes the Glenn Highway — one of the most congested traffic spots in Alaska.
It wasn’t just a vacant field, it is the Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) that is was this area is for.