Federal authorities are investigating a Monday plane crash in Katmai National Park and Preserve that left four people injured, though no identities had been released as of Tuesday afternoon.
A statement from the park Tuesday said that the plane, identified Monday by Alaska National Guard officials as a de Havilland Beaver operated by the Rapids Camp Lodge, crashed at about 4:30 p.m. Monday at Crosswinds Lake. According to guard officials, the floatplane had attempted to take off from the lake roughly 40 miles south of Iliamna when it crashed.
"Two National Park Service rangers, who were close by and the first responders on the scene, provided immediate medical care," park officials wrote. "Rangers contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center to coordinate rescue efforts. Iliamna Air provided support during the operation as well."
Rangers in the area reported "high clouds (and) good visibility" with winds estimated around 35 mph around the time of the crash, the statement said.
Park spokesman Jason Lux said Tuesday that federal investigators were at the scene, located amid a popular area for bear viewing and fishing. There wasn't immediate word on who among the plane's pilot and six passengers were lodge guests or employees, or where the plane had been headed.
Staff Sgt. Edward Eagerton, spokesman for the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing, said that an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter and an HC-130 search plane were launched from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at about 6:40 p.m. Monday. The helicopter reached the crash site at about 8:20 p.m.; pararescuemen evaluated all seven of the Beaver's occupants at the scene.
"We loaded four people into the helicopter and took them back to Iliamna," Eagerton said. "They loaded three of the people on the HC-130 and then determined that one of them needed to be flown directly to Providence (Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage)."
The HH-60 flew that patient to Providence, while the other three patients were taken back to JBER by the HC-130. They were met by Anchorage Fire Department medics and taken to local hospitals.
The other three occupants of the aircraft were taken to King Salmon for evaluation, park officials said.
Alaska State Troopers spokesman Tim Despain said no detailed information on the identity of the pilot or passengers was immediately available Tuesday.
According to a website for the Rapids Camp Lodge, the King Salmon site is one of five lodges operated by Deneki Outdoors in Alaska and elsewhere. The website emphasizes staff's willingness to spend more time airborne with guests, using three Beavers and a de Havilland Otter, in search of a unique fishing experience.
The lodge did not answer multiple phone calls Tuesday.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email that the crashed Beaver was on a Part 91 flight in connection with lodge and guiding operations, rather than a more heavily regulated flight by a scheduled air carrier.
Clint Johnson, the NTSB's Alaska chief, said Tuesday that investigators had spoken briefly with the Beaver's pilot, who was undergoing treatment in Anchorage.
"Hopefully we'll be able to talk with him more at length," Johnson said.
The plane was extensively damaged and lost both of its wings in the crash, according to Johnson. The NTSB is waiting for its wreckage to be recovered and taken to either Iliamna or Anchorage for further examination.
In the meantime, Johnson said, investigators are continuing to gather evidence about the crash.
"The pilot and the operator have been more than cooperative with us, but we've still got a lot of work to do," Johnson said.