On Wednesday, search teams from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, as well as Department of Public Safety’s HELO 3, continued searching around Crescent Lake on the Kenai Peninsula near Moose Pass for the two missing men from a reported plane crash that occurred Tuesday. Search teams are still in the field searching with helicopters, divers, sonar, and boats.
The two occupants of the overdue Piper PA-18 Super Cub are currently listed as missing persons and were identified as:
- 41-year-old Utah resident Paul Kondrat, a commercial fixed wing pilot and certified flight instructor
- 46-year-old Anchorage resident Mark Sletten, who is an Alaska Command J3 and fighter pilot
On Tuesday afternoon, Alaska Wildlife Troopers had been notified that two hikers had witnessed a plane crash at Crescent Lake near Moose Pass on the Kenai Peninsula. The search for the crash commenced and Wildlife Troopers soon learned that the plane was overdue. An Alaska Air National Guard rescue team was dispatched by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center to the site; however, they were not able to locate either male. The NTSB has been notified.
This story will be updated as more details emerge.
Why is it that so many plane crashes in Alaska, involve pilots with a tremendous amount of flying experience?
Some pilots have 10,000 hours and others have one hour 10,000 times. Big difference.
Complacency.
Military aviation used to chart accident rates against cumulative hours flown. High accident rates took place at a number of peaks. Initial peak was the first 100 hours or so, then 500 hours, then more time. Explanation for the peaks was usually some form of complacency – you’ve been doing it so long you don’t have to work as hard or be as careful.
I suspect the same thing happens while driving, but haven’t seen any data on that. Cheers –
Address that question to the two souls who died in the fiery crash while delivering a load of fuel out of Fairbanks a couple months ago.
Experience doesn’t always beat gravity and bad luck.
I’ve heard unconfirmed reports of what happened.
Basically, lack of familiarity with equipment in spite of number of flight hours in other aircraft.
Cubs and jets have little in common.
It’s a dangerous place to fly. I’ve been in situations many times where it could have gone either way. Best to be lucky rather than good. Luck will get you through anything