Anchorage Daily News

SLEETMUTE -- A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service airplane suffered engine failure in flight and was forced to land on the tundra near Sleetmute, according to the service.

The pilot was the only person on board and was not injured, spokesman Bruce Woods said. The aircraft had previously been in for maintenance, but when the pilot took it up the engine died, he said.

The aircraft reportedly had not suffered any damage beyond the engine failure, he said.

The Cessna 185 went down about 35 miles west of Sleetmute about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Alaska state troopers in Aniak flew to the remote area south of Crooked Creek, but the airplane was in an area that was inaccessible to other fixed-wing aircraft, troopers said.

Officials from the Donlin Creek Mine sent a helicopter to the scene and brought the pilot to Donlin Creek, where another Fish and Wildlife aircraft picked him up and transported him to Bethel, troopers said.

Fish and Wildlife officials were still working to extricate the plane Friday, Woods said.

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