Park Service suspends Lake Clark search for crashed plane carrying 4

The National Park Service has suspended search efforts on Lake Clark for a crashed plane carrying four Port Alsworth residents, after debris from the aircraft and items owned by the occupants were found on the lake.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Megan Richotte said Monday that active efforts to find and recover the Piper PA-28 Cherokee, which was reported overdue Wednesday afternoon on its flight to Merrill Field in Anchorage, had ended.

Pilot Kyle Longerbeam, 25, was flying three members of the Blom family — Scott Blom, 45, and his children Zach, 13, and Kaitlyn, 14 — to see Tanalian School senior Sam Blom play in an Anchorage volleyball tournament.

An extensive air search for the plane ended Thursday afternoon, when belongings of those on board were found on Lake Clark north and east of Port Alsworth. The Cherokee's copilot seat and all three of its wheels were found floating Friday.

"Items found on Thursday and Friday confirm the plane crashed in the lake," Richotte wrote.

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The Park Service coordinated a weekend air and water search to locate the aircraft, despite an estimated water depth of 375 feet where the first items were found Thursday. Poor weather severely hindered both elements of the plan, however.

"Persistent ice fog over the lake has hampered search efforts," Richotte wrote. "Winter conditions, including ice in portions of the lake, prevent the use of the Park Service's larger boats appropriate for operation on the lake."

Richotte said Monday that dense fog grounded aircraft Saturday morning and afternoon, before precluding any search efforts Sunday. An Alaska State Troopers helicopter that participated Saturday left the search Sunday afternoon but had to wait for a break in the fog to depart the area.

No remains of those on board the plane have been found, Richotte said, and no other parts of the aircraft have washed ashore or been found since Friday. Weather in the area Monday included temperatures of about 7 degrees and continuing fog.

The Park Service asked that pilots flying over the lake who see items potentially related to the crash relay a description and GPS coordinates to park staff at 907-781-2218.