The discovery of a crashed plane near a glacier in Southcentral Alaska on Sunday prompted responses from at least two government agencies that hadn't been informed of the crash, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Authorities eventually learned the pilot had flown into a mountain, survived and hiked out of the wilderness.
Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said the pilot, 24-year-old Soldotna resident Joshua Mastre, reported the crash to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge officials. An online troopers dispatch posted Tuesday stated that he didn't report the accident to an appropriate agency.
Around 10:20 Monday morning, troopers got a report from the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage about a plane crash. A pilot had spotted the site a day earlier in the area of Dinglestadt Glacier, in the Kenai Mountains 25 miles northeast of Homer, RCC told troopers.
RCC initially tasked the Civil Air Patrol with locating the wreckage, and while pilots were able to locate the plane on Sunday, they couldn't land and get its tail number, troopers said.
Troopers were given the coordinates of the site on Monday.
"Due to the limited information, and the absence of a report of the crash of the pilot, AST initiated a search-and-rescue for the occupants of the plane," troopers said.
Troopers' Anchorage-based search-and-rescue helicopter Helo 2 flew to the scene and landed. A yellow Cessna 140 was identified by its tail number as registered to Mastre.
At that time, searchers didn't find any occupants, troopers said. Mastre was called on the phone.
"Mastre reported he was flying on (July 14) when he was caught in a strong down draft which caused the plane to crash into the mountain," troopers reported. "He was uninjured and hiked out. He did not report the crash to" troopers, the Federal Aviation Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board, troopers said.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge manager Steve Miller said Mastre called the refuge a day after the crash. Mastre reported he had a "mishap" and was arranging for the plane's removal, Miller said.
Mastre walked to a lake in the refuge and was picked up by a floatplane, Miller said. The pilot didn't report having been injured.
Miller said the refuge didn't inform Mastre about needing to contact troopers or other authorities about the crash.
Troopers have notified the FAA, they said.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, said FAA Pacific Division public affairs manager Ian Gregor.