Downed aircraft was split in two, wreckage now in Juneau hangar

This is a photo of the Wings of Alaska plane servicing flight 202 from Juneau to Hoonah that went down earlier this afternoon. (Photo by Murray Lundberg)
The Wings of Alaska plane that went down Friday flying from Juneau to Hoonah. (Photo by Murray Lundberg)

National Transportation Safety Board inspector Chris Shaver says two of the passengers from Friday’s Wings of Alaska plane crash were able to get out of the aircraft on their own.

“I believe two passengers made it outside the airplane afterward and then they helped a third passenger get out.”

Shaver says he’s so far interviewed two of the four survivors.

Shaver was able to see the crash site Saturday with the help of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter basket. He says the Cessna 207 is in two pieces.

“The airplane separated basically just forward of the wing, so the cockpit area and the engine separated and it was its own piece. The rest of the fuselage and the wings and the tail all remained as one piece.”

He said the forward piece of the plane was sitting about 20 feet in front of what he thinks is the initial impact point, a large spruce tree. The second piece was inverted at the base of the tree. Shaver says some of the seats had broken out during the impact.

The wreckage from the crash is being kept in a private hangar at the Juneau airport. Shaver says the investigative team will spend about two days looking over it. The engine will be sent to Anchorage for inspection.

Shaver anticipates the preliminary accident report will come out early next week.

 

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