National Transportation Safety Board investigators have begun the work of determining why a Wrangell plane crashed Friday morning on Admiralty Island.
Three people died and a fourth was badly injured when the Cessna 206 hit the 2,200-foot elevation about 20 miles southeast of Angoon.
Safety Board Investigator Shaun Williams said a preliminary report will be issued in five to 10 days. But a final determination of cause could take around a year.
“All wreckage has been recovered. It is in Juneau in a hangar and we are actually conducting a detailed wreckage layout examination at this time,” Williams said.
He said representatives of the frame, engine and propeller manufacturers will help with the investigation. He said the plane was relatively intact at the crash site and was removed in three pieces by helicopter.
Meanwhile, Wrangell residents are mourning the loss of three members of their community.
Alaska State Troopers identified the victims as 60-year-old David Galla, 61-year-old Greg Scheff and 57-year-old Thomas Siekawitch.
The fourth person on board was 21-year-old Morgan Enright. She was rescued and medevaced to Seattle.
As of Monday afternoon, she was in critical condition at the Harborview Medical Center, which has an advanced trauma unit.
Wrangell Borough Manager Jeff Jabush said the crash affects many members of the community of about 2,400.
“Everybody just knows everybody, it seems like. And it is hard when something bad happens to people because everybody is involved in the whole thing,” he said.
He said community members are pitching in to help families of the victims.
Wrangell medical provider Alaska Island Community Services is also offering assistance. Director Mark Walker issued a statement that said counselors are already in the primary school.
“We also have numerous counselors available at our main office if anybody related to the family or any community members feel that they need to come in and talk with someone,” he said.
The crashed plane was a Cessna 206 flying from Wrangell to Angoon. It was owned by Wrangell’s Sunrise Aviation. Galla, the pilot, was one of the owners.
Borough Manager Jabush knew all three people killed in the crash.
He says Galla was a longtime pilot who also served on a local electrical commission board. Scheff was a surveyor who worked around Southeast Alaska. Siekawitch worked for Scheff’s business.
The Coast Guard responded to the crash, but a helicopter was unable to land due to turbulent winds. Members of Sitka Mountain Rescue were called in to hike to the scene.
Capt. Lance Ewers said the team was dropped off 600 yards below the wreckage, which is located in snowy, alpine terrain.
“To everyone’s disbelief, they found one of the four passengers was alive. And then they immediately started mounting an effort to get her out of the plane where they could insert her into the helicopter,” he said.
Ewers helped guide the team remotely from Sitka.
