Pilot Dies In Plane Crash 40 Miles Southeast Of Cordova

Troopers Say Only The Pilot Was On Board 

Location: Cordova

Type: Fatal Plane Crash

Dispatch Text:

UPDATE 6/30:  The pilot has been positively identified as 51-year-old California resident Michael Grimes by the State Medical Examiner's Office. Next of kin has been notified. 

ORIGINAL: On June 18, 2026, at around 8:00 pm, the Alaska State Troopers were notified of an overdue Piper Pacer aircraft. The aircraft was believed to be flying between Yakutat and Fairbanks with only the pilot on board. Both Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Wildlife Trooper aircraft began searching for the overdue plane. On June 19, 2026, at around 4:00 pm, an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter crew located the crashed aircraft approximately 40 miles southeast of Cordova in a mountainous area near Kanak Island. The pilot was located deceased in the crashed aircraft. The body was transported back to Anchorage to the State Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and positive identification. His next of kin and the NTSB have been notified.

Posted on 6/19/2026 7:59:38 PM by DPS\ajmcdaniel . Edited on 6/30/2026 1:03:24 PM by DPS\ajmcdaniel