Plane Headed To Sutton From Valdez Found. Crashed In Heavy Whiteout At Thompson Pass

Plane Search Hampered By Poor Weather Conditions, Troopers Say  

Plane Found 1,000 Feet From Highway

Extraordinary summer whiteout at Thompson Pass. The Country Journal drove to Valdez on Wednesday, July 13th. At the Pass, visibility on the highway was only 8 to 10 feet – or two stripes of the white centerline.  

UPDATE: JULY 14TH, 2022

On July 14, 2022 at approximately 2:15 p.m., an Alaska Army National Guard HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and crew located the aircraft wreckage and deceased pilot at the top of Thompson Pass about 1,000 feet off the Richardson Highway. 

Alaska State Troopers arrived on scene and positively identified the deceased pilot as Andy Andersen, age 38 of Sutton. The body was recovered from the site and will be taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office. Next of kin has been notified. NTSB will investigate the cause of the crash. 

Location: Valdez

Type: Overdue Aircraft

Dispatch Text:
On 7/11/2022 at 8:21 pm, Alaska State Troopers received a report of an overdue aircraft with one person on board out of Valdez and notified the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC). 

 

The red and white Aeronica Champion aircraft was reported to have left Valdez around 5 pm on 7/11/2022 en route to Sutton with an expect arrival time of 6:30 pm. Agencies involved are AKRCC, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), US Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and Alaska Army National Guard assets. SAR efforts have been hampered due to poor weather conditions and air assets are searching as weather permits.