Alaska Guard rescues four after separate small plane crashes this month

Alaska Army National Guard aviators carried out two successful rescues following separate plane crashes in Alaska earlier this month.

On Friday, September 5, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew from Nome located a downed two-seat aircraft about 45 miles south of St. Michael. Two people were found uninjured and flown to Nome.

Just three days later, on September 8th, another Black Hawk crew from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson responded to a crash site in the Wrangell Mountains, roughly 175 miles east of Anchorage. Two individuals on a hunting trip were safely picked up and transported to Gulkana.

Both crashes involved small aircraft, and in each case, the occupants were found uninjured.

These missions underscore the importance of carrying emergency communication devices while traveling in Alaska’s