Pilot dies in small plane crash southeast of Cordova

On June 20, Alaska State Troopers reported a pilot was killed in a plane crash in rugged terrain near Cordova. The overdue Piper Pacer was first reported around 8 p.m. Thursday while likely en route from Yakutat to Fairbanks. Alaska Air National Guard and Wildlife Troopers located the aircraft near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova, on Friday afternoon. The pilot’s identity was not released; the body was recovered for autopsy and positive identification at the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage, with next of kin and the National Transportation Safety Board notified.

The incident underscores the challenges of remote Alaskan aviation, where treacherous terrain and weather complicate search and recovery efforts, and investigations will determine the cause and contributing factors of the crash.