Pilot and 3 passengers killed in crash of Yute Commuter Service plane near St. Mary's

A Yute Commuter Service Cessna 207 crashed Sunday night in a remote area near St. Mary’s, killing all four people aboard. The aircraft was carrying three passengers from Bethel to the village of St. Mary’s and was operated by Yute, with passengers described as people affiliated with the company rather than charter or scheduled customers. The pilot was an off-duty Yute pilot, accompanied by a Yute employee, a former employee and another person on a personal trip. The flight departed around 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and received permission for a “Special VFR” clearance before the crash just after 10 p.m. The NWS reported overcast skies at 300 feet, winds around 15 mph, light rain and fog or mist, and visibility dropping from 2.5 miles to 2 miles. Alaska troopers located the wreckage after being alerted around 11:15 p.m.