A single-engine plane with three people on board crashed at Alaska’s Nanwalek Airport on Monday, with federal officials saying the pilot’s swerve around a dog on the runway led to the disaster.
The accident occurred just before 2 p.m., killing pilot Daniel Bunker, 48, of Homer and passenger Jenny Miller, 37, of Anchorage, the Alaska State Troopers said in a release.
A second passenger, a man unnamed by authorities, was medically evacuated with serious injuries with the aid of first responders and local good Samaritans.
The flight, Smokey Bay Air Flight 213, was using a single-engine Cessna 207, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB officials believe Mr. Bunker was trying to avoid hitting a dog on the runway while he was attempting to land at Nanwalek.
“What we understand now is that there may have been an animal, namely a dog, that was on the runway. The pilot initiated a go-around … made a right turn away from the runway, pretty steep climb, and unfortunately there was a loss of control,” NTSB Alaska Regional Office Chief Clint Johnson told Anchorage’s KTUU-TV.
Smokey Bay Air is a lifeline in that area of rural Alaska, helping move goods, people and mail. The plane was finishing a mail run at the time of the crash, Nanwalek IRA Tribal Administration Katrina Hetrick told the Anchorage Daily News.
She said of Mr. Bunker that “he was amazing. … He made you feel safe. He made you feel comfortable.”
Ms. Miller was headed to Nanwalek to take photos for a local school event. She also served on the board of Native Movement, an indigenous advocacy group.
Ms. Miller “took her role seriously and made sure LGBTQ and two-spirit rights and safety were at the heart of our work. As a friend, she was one of the most kind and caring. She had a sense of humor all her own, one that only an artist introvert could really hone and deliver,” Native Movement Executive Director Enei Begaye told the Anchorage Daily News.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.