2013 — July 7, Rediske Air-Taxi Crash, de Havilland DHC3 Otter, Soldotna, AK– 10

— 10  NTSB. Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request. 2-2-2015 letter of transmittal date, p. 60.

— 10  NBC News (Rafferty/Austin). “‘State of Shock’ 10 killed in Alaska plane crash.” 7-8-2013.

— 10  USA Today. “NTSB: 10 killed in Alaska plane Crash.” 7-8-2013.[1]

 

NTSB: “Soldotna, AK…07/06/2013[2]…Rediske Air DHC-3 crashed on takeoff from Soldotna Airport…10 [Fatalities column]. (National Transportation Safety Board. Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request. Washington, DC: NTSB, 2-2-2015 letter of transmittal date.)

 

July 8, NBC News:  “Ten people were killed Sunday [July 7] when their plane was “engulfed in flames” at the Soldotna Airport in Alaska.  Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were still trying to determine what caused the DHC-3T single propeller aircraft, owned by Rediske Air, to crash.  The pilot and co-owner of the company, Walter Rediske, 42, was described as “highly experienced” by a spokesman….

 

“The Soldotna Police Department said the accident took place around 11:20 a.m. (3:20 p.m. ET), and emergency responders arrived to find the aircraft engulfed in flames. “We saw the plume immediately when we left the station,” Capt. Lesley Quelland of Central Emergency Services, told the Anchorage Daily News, adding that the big black cloud was visible from the station at least three miles away.

 

“Harcombe [family friend] said the air charter company only flew in Alaska landing at both airports and more remote locations across the state.  The company, formed in April 1991 is registered to Walter and Lyla Rediske….”  (NBC News (Andrew Rafferty and Henry Austin).  “‘State of Shock’” 10 killed in Alaska plane crash.” 7-8-2013.)

 

July 8, USA Today:  “Anchorage, Alaska (AP) — An air taxi crashed Sunday at a small Alaska airport, killing all 10 people on board and leaving the aircraft fully engulfed in flames before firefighters could get to it, authorities said.  The de Havilland DHC3 Otter air taxi crashed just after 11 a.m. at the airport in Soldotna, a community about 75 miles southwest of Anchorage and located on the Kenai Peninsula.  “We do have 10 fatalities, unfortunately, nine passengers, one pilot,” National Transportation Safety Board investigator Clint Johnson told The Associated Press.

 

“The Federal Aviation Administration said the Otter was operated by Rediske Air, based out of another Kenai Peninsula community, Nikiski.

 

“Will Satathite, who was working Sunday at Rediske Air’s Nikiski office, confirmed to the Peninsula Clarion newspaper that the aircraft was flown by Nikiski pilot and company owner Willy Rediske with nine passengers onboard.

 

“A man who didn’t identify himself at the Rediske office declined comment later Sunday to the AP, saying the crash was under investigation.

 

“Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Meagan Peters said a fire that consumed the aircraft initially kept firefighters from reaching the wreckage. The victims have not been identified.  The Soldotna Police Department said Sunday evening that the remains of all 10 people have been recovered and sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for autopsies and positive identifications.

 

“Police said in a release through the Alaska State Troopers that weather at the time of the crash was reported to be cloudy with a light wind.

 

“Johnson said initial reports have the plane crashing after departure, but that will have to be confirmed by investigators.

 

“The NTSB is sending an investigative team from Washington, D.C., and they are scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon….

 

“For many Alaskans, flying across the state is common because of the limited road system, exposing residents to a litany of hazards including treacherous mountain passes and volatile weather. It’s possible to drive from Anchorage to Soldotna, but it’s about a four-hour trip as the highway hugs Turnagain Arm and then cuts through a mountain passage.

 

“Soldotna was founded in 1947 by World War II veterans, who were given 90-day preference for homesteading rights in 1947, according to a state website. The city, now with a population of about 4,300, is on the banks of the Kenai River, and the area is busy this time of the year with people fishing for salmon.

 

“Alaska has already seen a several plane crashes this year, including a June 28 crash that killed a pilot and two passengers on a commercial tour in the Alaska Range.

 

“In another crash Saturday, two men had to swim to shore after their plane crashed in the waters off Kodiak Island. The small plane crashed after its engine sputtered out, and the men swam about 50 yards, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported.

 

“The Soldotna crash also comes a day after two teenagers were killed when the Asiana flight crashed at San Francisco’s airport.

 

“The municipal airport is located about a mile from Soldotna’s commercial business area and is adjacent to the Kenai River, according to the city’s website.  The runway is 5,000 foot long and paved.”  (USA Today. “NTSB: 10 killed in Alaska plane Crash.” 7-8-2013.)

 

Sources

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request. Washington, DC: NTSB, 2-2-2015 letter of transmittal date. Accessed 6-3-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/about/Documents/FY2016_BudgetRequest.pdf

 

NBC News (Andrew Rafferty and Henry Austin). “‘State of Shock’ 10 killed in Alaska plane crash.” 7-8-2013. Accessed 7-8-2013 at: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/08/19350386-state-of-shock-10-killed-in-alaska-plane-crash

 

USA Today. “NTSB: 10 killed in Alaska plane Crash.” 7-8-2013. Accessed 7-8-2013 at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/07/alaska-plane-crash/2497593/

 

 

[1] From Table entitled: “Ongoing Major Aviation Accident and Incident Investigations as of September 30, 2014.”

[2] Actually 7-7-2013.