Aviation

Pilot dead, passenger injured in crash of small plane near Anchor Point

One person died and one was in critical condition after a Piper PA-18 Super Cub crashed Friday afternoon just north of Anchor Point along the Sterling Highway, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The aircraft’s pilot, identified as Kurt Stjean, 52, was found dead at the scene of the crash on Friday, troopers said in an online report.

A woman who was the only other person on board was brought to the hospital to be treated for her injuries, troopers said. The passenger was in critical condition as of Saturday evening, troopers spokesman Justin Freeman said in an email.

Troopers were notified around 1:12 p.m. Friday that an airplane had crashed near Mile 155 of the Sterling Highway. Soon afterward, troopers located the crashed Super Cub in the trees at Mile 154.5.

FAA online records indicate that the aircraft’s registered owner is Homer resident Kurt Joseph St. Jean.

The plane’s departure and destination locations are part of the investigation, according to Freeman.

Next of kin have been notified, and an investigation is ongoing, troopers said.

“We launched two NTSB investigators to the scene, who are doing the on-scene investigation of the accident as we speak,” Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska Regional Office, said late Saturday morning.

Annie Berman

Annie Berman is a reporter covering health care, education and general assignments for the Anchorage Daily News. She previously reported for Mission Local and KQED in San Francisco before joining ADN in 2020. Contact her at aberman@adn.com.

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