Alaska
4 dead in North Slope helicopter crash
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Four people are dead after a helicopter crashed on Alaska’s North Slope Thursday night, according to officials with the National Transportation Safety Board.
There were no survivors in the crash, according to Alaska NTSB Chief Clint Johnson.
Johnson said the helicopter was a Bell 206L-4 craft operating out of Maritime Helicopters in Homer, a private charter company. Johnson said the helicopter was returning to Utqiagvik from a mission, although it was unclear where it was coming from.
North Slope Search and Rescue crews found the downed helicopter partially submerged in a shallow lake approximately 51 miles southwest of Utqiagvik, according to Johnson.
Johnson said Maritime Helicopters lost contact via an electronic tracking system around 7 or 8 p.m. Thursday, which prompted an overdue call.
DJ Fauske, North Slope Borough director of external affairs, said the search team was alerted of the overdue helicopter around 11:20 p.m. Thursday, which he said was between the villages of Wainwright and Atqasuk.
Fauske said North Slope Borough Search and Rescue is investigating with help from the NTSB, and also notified the Federal Aviation Administration, the borough police department, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and Alaska State Troopers of the crash.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.
Alaska
Alaska Airlines Seeks Dismissal of Consumer Lawsuit Over $1.9 Billion Hawaiian Airlines Buy
On Friday, Alaska Airlines petitioned a U.S. judge to dismiss a consumer lawsuit challenging its planned $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The airline argued that the transaction would not unlawfully consolidate its power within the transportation industry.
In its filing with the Hawaii federal court, Alaska Airlines contended that the lawsuit, filed by consumers in April, failed to demonstrate any “concrete, particularized and impending harm” that passengers would face if the deal proceeded. Reuters reported that Alaska Airlines described the plaintiffs as “serial litigants” who had previously filed lawsuits over other airline mergers, labeling their claims as “boilerplate.”
Alaska Airlines refrained from commenting further on Friday. Meanwhile, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, a group of eight airline passengers from Hawaii, California, and other states, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
Alaska Airlines’ Hawaiian Acquisition Faces Antitrust Scrutiny
The lawsuit alleges that the merger would exacerbate the current trend towards concentration and reduced competition in the airline industry, which the plaintiffs argue is “unmatched, unparalleled, and dangerous.” In response, Alaska Airlines asserted in its filing that the merger would significantly expand customer access to global destinations.
The proposed acquisition is currently under antitrust review by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have stated they are cooperating with the DOJ and expect to continue doing so, as reported by Reuters in March.
The case, titled Warren Yoshimoto et al v. Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, under case number 1:24-cv-00173.
Source: Reuters
Alaska
Very strong mag. 6.0 earthquake – North Pacific Ocean, 23 mi southeast of Amukta Island, Aleutians West, Alaska, United States, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 12:35 am (GMT -9) –
Alaska
2 bodies found in plane submerged upside down in Alaska lake
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The bodies of two men have been recovered from a plane that was found face down in a lake, Alaska State Troopers said Saturday.
Troopers were notified late Friday of the upside-down aircraft in Six Mile Lake near the Athabascan community of Nondalton, located about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage.
READ: Crammed with tourists, Alaska’s capital wonders what will happen as its magnificent glacier recedes
The bodies of Dave Hedgers, 58, and Aaron Fryer, 45, were found by a dive team dead inside the aircraft, troopers said in an online post. No hometowns were provided.
The bodies will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.
READ: After a glacial dam outburst destroyed homes in Alaska, a look at the risks of melting ice masses
The National Transportation Safety Board said on the social media platform X that it would investigate the crash of a Taylorcraft BC-12 aircraft near Nondalton.
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