A Civil Air Patrol crew flying from Anchorage to Bethel on Friday morning heard the sound of an emergency location transponder on an old frequency that is not monitored by satellite but can be picked up on a radio.
Crew members scanned the tundra and within a minute or so spotted the upside-down plane. A person standing outside of it waved his or her arms.
The downed plane appeared to be a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, said Jennifer Sherwin, spokeswoman for the Civil Air Patrol Alaska wing.
The air patrol crew contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, which launched an Alaska Air National Guard rescue helicopter.
Members of the 210th and 212th rescue squadrons transported the individuals to the Alaska State Troopers post in Soldotna.
Neither the Civil Air Patrol nor troopers were able to provide the names of the rescued individuals on Sunday.
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