A 75-year-old Matanuska-Susitna Borough man was killed in a Tuesday floatplane crash in Prince William Sound.
Alaska State Troopers identified the deceased as William Resinger of Palmer. He was one of two passengers aboard a Cessna 185 Skywagon that went down over Cascade Bay, about 20 miles southwest of Valdez.
The pilot, Scott Johannes of Wasilla, and the other passenger were flown to an Anchorage hospital. Their condition and the identity of the second passenger have not been released.
Coast Guard spokesperson Charly Hengen said the pilot and both passengers were underwater, but four vessels in the area immediately responded.
“(Coast Guard) Sector Anchorage issued out what’s called an urgent marine information broadcast, and some good Samaritans were in the area and they were able to provide assistance to the people,” she said. “Also an Alaska Air National Guard rescue helicopter crew was launched by Sector Anchorage watchstanders. They were able to medevac two of the people, and those people were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.”
Initial reports came into the Cordova Police Department, which received a 911 call. An Alaska State Troopers dispatch says the aircraft crashed as the pilot was attempting to land in Cascade Bay.
First responders performed CPR on Resinger, but he was unresponsive. He was later declared deceased.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. It’s the third fatal floatplane crash in Alaska this month.
