Troopers say the airplane, a Piper PA-14, had been flying from Igiugig to King Salmon with three passengers aboard about 12:15 p.m. Thursday when poor weather forced it into a holding pattern north of the airport.
The engine began running rough before the airplane lost power altogether, troopers said.
The owner and pilot, Douglas Bradbury, 44, made an emergency landing near King Salmon Creek and called for help on a satellite phone, troopers said.
A privately owned helicopter responded to the scene and brought the pilot and passengers to King Salmon, where medics examined and released them.
The aircraft was totalled in the crash-landing, troopers said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
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