Analysis
The non-instrument-rated private pilot and three passengers departed from an airport along a lakefront in an airplane not equipped or certified for flight into known icing conditions. A couple of minutes after the airplane departed, a pilot who was descending to land at the departure airport spoke with the accident pilot. The pilot of the descending airplane told the accident pilot that the tops of the clouds were about 2,000 ft. The accident pilot replied, "looking good under here, I'm gonna keep going." No further radio transmissions were received from the accident pilot. When the airplane failed to arrive at its intended destination, a search was launched.
The day following the accident, airplane debris and personal items that were positively identified as belonging to the occupants of the airplane were found floating on the surface of the lake. The debris indicated that the airplane impacted the surface of the lake. Despite an extensive search, neither the occupants nor the airplane have been recovered, and, due to the depth of the lake, a recovery mission is unlikely.
Weather camera images, surface weather observations, and upper air observations indicated that the weather conditions at the time of the accident likely included freezing fog and mist, low visibilities and ceilings, and moderate or greater icing conditions in the clouds covering the accident area. Therefore, the accident flight likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions shortly after departure and rapidly began accumulating structural and/or induction icing. However, because the airplane was not available for examination by investigators, the possibility of mechanical failure or malfunction could not be ruled out.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Undetermined due to a lack of physical evidence.
Findings
Not determined
Not determined - Unknown/Not determined (Cause)
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N8648N
Location: Port Alsworth, AK
Accident Number: ANC17FA010
Date & Time: 12/07/2016, 0935 AKS
Registration: N8648N
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-180
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Unknown or undetermined
Injuries: 4 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On December 7, 2016, about 0935 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N8648N, impacted the open waters of Lake Clark shortly after takeoff from the Port Alsworth Airport (PALJ), Port Alsworth, Alaska. The noninstrument-rated private pilot and three passengers are missing and presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was not recovered and is presumed to have sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual in Port Alsworth, and the pilot had rented the airplane for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 visual flight rules cross-country personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure, but instrument meteorological conditions were reported along the flight's anticipated route. The flight departed PALJ about 0930 with a destination of Merrill Field Airport (PAMR), Anchorage, Alaska. No flight plan was filed for the flight.
During a telephone conversation with a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator on December 8, a friend of the pilot and passengers reported that the three passengers were part of a family traveling to Anchorage to meet up with other family members. They were originally scheduled to travel on a scheduled air carrier flight on the day of the accident, but canceled their reservations and elected to fly to Anchorage with the pilot instead. Another family member departed for Anchorage aboard the scheduled air carrier flight.
A pilot who was completing a flight from Anchorage to PALJ about the time of the accident reported speaking with the accident pilot a couple minutes after the accident airplane departed from PALJ. He told the accident pilot that the tops of the clouds were about 2,000 ft and that, from his perspective, it looked open at Miller Valley, which is located about 10 miles northeast of PALJ along the northern shore of Lake Clark. The accident pilot replied, "looking good under here, I'm gonna keep going." No further radio transmissions were received from the accident pilot.
When the airplane failed to arrive in Anchorage, family members and friends of the passengers reported the airplane overdue. An alert notice was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 1501 on December 7, and an extensive search was launched. According to the airplane's owner, the airplane was equipped with a 406 MHz emergency transmitter locator, but no signal was received by search personnel.
On December 8, about 1530, searchers located personal items floating about 11 miles northeast of the airport in Lake Clark that were later positively identified as belonging to the occupants of the airplane. Also recovered were three airplane landing gear wheel assemblies, a co-pilot (right side) seat, and cargo from the airplane. The rest of the airplane was not located, and it is presumed to have sunk in Lake Clark.
The official search was suspended by the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and the Alaska State Troopers on December 12, 2016. Family friends and volunteers continued to search for the missing airplane.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 25, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/01/2013
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 257.2 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Student Pilot Information
Certificate: Student
Age: 45, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/08/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 32 hours (Total, all aircraft)
The pilot, age 25, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent third class medical certificate was issued on February 1, 2013, and contained the limitation, "must wear corrective lenses."
A logbook belonging to the pilot was recovered from the waters of Lake Clark during the search for the airplane. The last entry, dated November 9, 2016, was for a flight in the accident airplane. The total flight time listed in the logbook was 257.2 hours.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER
Registration: N8648N
Model/Series: PA 28-180 180
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1971
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 28-7105149
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/15/2016, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2152.7 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C126 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A4A
Registered Owner: ALSWORTH GLEN R
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
The airplane was manufactured in 1971 and equipped with a Lycoming O-360 series engine. The airplane was not equipped or certified for flight into known icing conditions. No airframe or engine logbooks were located for the accident airplane.
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PAIL, 192 ft msl
Observation Time: 0953 AKS
Distance from Accident Site: 32 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 20°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Temperature/Dew Point: -16°C / -17°C
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1200 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 16 knots/ 22 knots, 360°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Port Alsworth, AK (TPO)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: ANCHORAGE, AK (MRI)
Type of Clearance: Unknown
Departure Time: AKS
Type of Airspace: Class G
The closest official weather station was at PALJ, located about 8 miles southwest of the accident site. PALJ used Aviation Paid Weather Observers (A-Paid) who are individuals trained by the National Weather Service and/or the FAA and stationed in locations where the NWS has determined that it is necessary to take weather observations to help provide NWS forecast responsibilities. A-Paid observers are certified by the NWS to take surface observations (that is, hourly reports of temperature, dew point, estimated cloud cover, estimated visibility, pressure, weather, and wind direction and speed) using equipment provided by the NWS. These observers are compensated for their work on a per-observation basis. Between December 5 and December 7, there were a total of four observations taken by the A-Paid observer at PALJ. The only observation from the day of the accident was timestamped 1459 and stated in part: wind from 140° at 5 knots, 7 miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 500 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 3°F, dew point 0°F, and altimeter setting 30.18 inches of mercury.
Iliamna Airport (PAIL), Iliamna, Alaska, was the next closest official weather station, located 40 miles southwest of the accident site. PAIL had an Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS); the reports were supplemented by air traffic controllers.
At 0911, a METAR from PAIL reported in part: wind from 360° at 13 knots with gusts to 23 knots, 10 miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 1,100 ft agl, temperature of -3°C, dew point temperature of 1°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.17 inches of mercury.
At 0953, a METAR from PAIL reported in part: wind from 360° at 16 knots with gusts to 22 knots, 10 miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 1,200 ft agl, temperature of -3°F, dew point temperature of 1°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.16 inches of mercury.
The closest official upper air sounding to the accident site was from King Salmon, Alaska, (PAKN), located 124 miles southwest of the accident site at an elevation of 46 feet.
The 0300 PAKN sounding indicated a conditionally unstable layer between the surface and 750 feet with a stable layer from 750 feet through 3,250 feet. An inversion (increase in temperature with height) was located immediately above the surface to 2,488 feet and this inversion would have kept any clouds that formed below the inversion in place if the background wind environment was relatively light. With the relative humidity greater than 80% from the surface to 10,000 feet, the complete Rawinsonde Observation program (RAOB) indicated that clouds were likely from the surface through 10,000 feet. Moderate or greater icing conditions were indicated by RAOB in the cloud cover between 750 feet and 6,500 feet. A detailed meteorology study is located in the public docket for this accident.
Airport Information
Airport: PORT ALSWORTH (TPO)
Runway Surface Type: N/A
Airport Elevation: 280 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Unknown
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: None
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: Unknown
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 60.297222, -154.117222 (est)
The airplane is presumed to have sustained substantial damage during impact with the open waters of Lake Clark shortly after takeoff. Due to the depth of the lake, about 500 ft in some locations, there are no search and recovery efforts planned at the time of this report.
Medical And Pathological Information
To date, the remains of the pilot have not been located; therefore, no pathological or toxicology information exists. At the time of his last medical examination, the pilot reported no medical concerns, and no significant issues were identified by the aviation medical examiner.
NTSB Identification: ANC17FA010
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, December 07, 2016 in Port Alsworth, AK
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28-180, registration: N8648N
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On December 7, 2016, about 0935 Alaska standard time (AST), a wheel-equipped Piper PA-32-180 airplane, N8648N, is presumed to have sustained substantial damage during impact with the open waters of Lake Clark shortly after takeoff from the Port Alsworth Airport, Port Alsworth, Alaska. Of the four occupants on board, the non-instrument rated private pilot and three passengers are presumed to have sustained fatal injuries, and all remain missing. At the time of the accident instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the area. The airplane was registered to a private individual in Port Alsworth, and it had recently been rented to the accident pilot for the 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure, but reduced visibility conditions were reported along the flight's anticipated flight route, including low-lying ice fog over Lake Clark. The accident flight originated at the Port Alsworth Airport, Port Alsworth, about 0930, en route to the Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, the flight's final destination for the day. No flight plan was filed for the flight.
According to the owner, the missing airplane was equipped with a 406 MHz emergency transmitter locator (ELT), but no signal was received by search personnel.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chief on December 8, a family friend of both the pilot and passengers reported that four family members were originally scheduled to fly to Anchorage on a scheduled air carrier on the day of the accident. The friend explained that on the morning of the accident, three of the four passengers canceled their reservations on the scheduled air carrier, and they elected to fly to Anchorage with the accident pilot instead, while the other family member departed for Anchorage aboard the scheduled air carrier's flight.
When the airplane failed to arrive in Anchorage, concerned family members and friends of the passengers called the NTSB's Alaska Regional Office to report the airplane overdue. Consequently, an alert notice was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on December 7, at 1501, and an extensive search was launched. Search operations were conducted by personnel from the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska State Troopers, Civil Air Patrol, as well as many Good Samaritan pilots.
On December 8, about 1530, searchers located personal items floating in Lake Clark that were later positively identified as belonging to the missing occupants. Also recovered were three airplane landing gear wheel assemblies, a co-pilot (right side) seat, as well as cargo from the missing airplane. The rest of the airplane has not yet been located, and it is presumed to have sunk in the deep waters of Lake Clark.
The official search was suspended by the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and the Alaska State Troopers on December 12, 2016. Family friends and volunteers continued to search for the missing airplane.
The closest weather reporting facility was at the Port Alsworth Airport, Port Alsworth, Alaska, about 10 miles south of the debris location. At 1453, a weather observation from the Port Alsworth Airport was reporting, in part: Wind, 150 degrees (true) at 04 knots; visibility, 7 statute miles; cloud and sky conditions, 500 feet overcast; temperature, 3 degrees F; dew point, 0 degrees F; altimeter, 30.18inHg. Remarks: "EST PASS CLOSED."
A pilot operating in the area at the time the airplane disappeared reported speaking with the accident pilot during the descent phase of his flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth. He stated that he spoke with the accident pilot a couple minutes after the pilot departed the Port Alsworth Airport and he told him the tops of the clouds were about 2,000 feet and from his perspective, it looked open at Miller Valley. The accident pilot replied "looking good under here, I'm gonna keep going." No further radio transmissions were received from the accident pilot.
The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-360 series engine.
A detailed wreckage and engine examination is pending recovery of the airplane.
Kyle Longerbeam
Federal Aviation Administration weather camera on the western end of Lake Clark Pass shows heavy fog Thursday afternoon.
Federal Aviation Administration aviation camera on the eastern end of Lake Clark Pass shows clear weather Thursday afternoon.
Scott Blom (back, second from left), 45, and his children Zach (front in the orange jacket), 13 and daughter Kaitlyn (front, right).
Lyle Longerbeam
Grace Bible Church: https://www.facebook.com
Scott Blom and two of his teenage children had been headed to a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage when they and their young pilot were killed in a plane crash Wednesday in Lake Clark, near the place where they started — Port Alsworth.
Blom's family and friends, in their first detailed statements about what they knew about the circumstances of the plane crash, also said Friday that Blom's wife, Julie Blom, flew separately on a commercial flight to Anchorage because there wasn't room for her on the four-seater, single-engine plane.
Another one of the Blom children was on a high school volleyball team and traveled to Anchorage separately with his teammates, while a fourth was already living in the city as a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee had left Port Alsworth around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, but never arrived in Anchorage. It had carried the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Blom, 45, a Christian missionary; daughter Kaitlyn Blom, 14; and Zach Blom, 13. All lived in Port Alsworth, a small community on the shores of Lake Clark, inside the vast Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and about 165 miles southwest of Anchorage.
In the two days that followed Wednesday's report of the missing plane and people, searchers found the plane's co-pilot seat and three of its wheels floating on Lake Clark. They also found some of the plane occupants' personal items scattered in the water north and east of Port Alsworth, said statements from the National Park Service.
"So without a doubt, the airplane is unfortunately underwater," said Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board Alaska chief. Johnson said on Friday the agency was assuming the three passengers and pilot had died in the crash "unless we hear otherwise."
A search from the air was expected to continue Saturday. What led the plane to crash remains under investigation, Johnson said.
The Blom family of six lived in Port Alsworth for about seven years, according to family friend Jackie Wilder.
Scott Blom and his wife, Julie, had spearheaded a nationwide leadership training program for college students and military cadets through Lifelines, a branch of the evangelical organization Cru, once known as Campus Crusade for Christ, said a statement from the family provided Friday by Tanalian School Principal Nate Davis.
"The Bloms are based out of their home and lodge on Lake Clark and have a passion for serving Alaskans and helping them develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ," the statement said.
Wilder said the Bloms all helped out at Port Alsworth's small, public K-12 school, the Tanalian School, and were outgoing members of the tight-knit community of about 200 people. According to the family's statement, Scott Blom coached the high school boys basketball team.
Wilder said in the Bloms' spare time, they indulged in their love of the outdoors.
"They were out and about all the time; they were very kind, hardworking, thoughtful, smart," she said. "They loved hiking, boating, flying, hunting, trapping, fishing — they just loved everything that Alaska has to offer."
On Wednesday, the entire Blom family was supposed to be in Anchorage. The couple's oldest son, Josh, a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was already there, and the second oldest, Sam, had traveled with the volleyball team, Davis said.
The family's statement Friday said Kaitlyn and Zach were both honor roll students.
The statement described Longerbeam as an Alaska guide and "great friend to many." Joel Natwick, owner of Tanalian Aviation, described Longerbeam as a "good man."
"He was a talented guide and outdoorsman and he was a good pilot," he said.
Longerbeam had a private pilot certificate, according to state records. Photographs on Longerbeam's Facebook page show him out in Alaska's outdoors — fishing, hunting, wearing snowshoes and posing with pelts as well as a plane.
He was a former resident of Fairfield, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and "left everyone and everything behind … to live out his childhood dreams in Alaska," according to a statement issued Saturday by his brother, James "J.J." Longerbeam.
Longerbeam's life ended with him "doing what (he) loved to do," the statement said.
The plane takes off
Johnson said he could not provide information Friday on how many planes had also taken off from the Port Alsworth late Wednesday morning.
The community is not reachable by ground. Two flight services regularly operate out of Port Alsworth — Lake and Peninsula Airlines and Lake Clark Air, said Natwick, whose Tanalian Aviation is a helicopter tour company with a summer base in Port Alsworth.
Lake Clark Air declined to comment Friday, and Lake and Peninsula Airlines did not respond to calls.
Natwick said Longerbeam worked as a private pilot. According to the plane's tail number, the plane he flew Wednesday belonged to Glen Alsworth. The Alsworth family owns Lake Clark Air. It's unknown if Longerbeam rented or borrowed the plane.
What is known is that Longerbeam and the three Bloms took off from Port Alsworth in "less than stellar" weather, Johnson said. "But we need to get some more specifics there."
Johnson said pilots reported "a fair amount of fog and restricted visibility over the lake."
The plane's route during the 90-minute flight would have taken it above the lake and then through Lake Clark Pass to the northeast, Johnson said. Natwick said the plane would have likely followed the shoreline on the northeast side of the lake.
The National Weather Service's closest weather observation station to Port Alsworth is in Iliamna, to the southwest. Bill Ludwig, a NWS meteorologist, said Friday the weather in Iliamna can be fairly indicative of what's going on over Lake Clark.
Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said, Iliamna had a low ceiling, between 800 and 1,500 feet, with a brisk wind between 15 and 25 mph, and with temperatures around 3 degrees.
"The fact that they had pretty bad conditions there indicates that the weather was probably the same in the case of the Lake Clark area," Ludwig said.
Extensive searches have continued this week to find the four missing people and the plane. Natwick said he flew a helicopter over the area Wednesday and Thursday, assisting in the search, and reported poor visibility and fog over the lake.
Johnson, with the NTSB, said Friday that the agency was investigating the crash, including its cause.
Asked whether aircraft have been recovered before from deep in Lake Clark, Johnson recalled a crash in 2005 in which three girls died.
Aviation
Father, 2 kids were heading to Anchorage volleyball tournament when plane crashed
Author: Tegan Hanlon Updated: 2 hours ago Published 16 hours ago
The Blom family at Tanalian Falls near Port Alsworth. (Courtesy Nate Davis)
Scott Blom and two of his teenage children had been headed to a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage when they and their young pilot were killed in a plane crash Wednesday in Lake Clark, near the place where they started — Port Alsworth.
Blom's family and friends, in their first detailed statements about what they knew about the circumstances of the plane crash, also said Friday that Blom's wife, Julie Blom, flew separately on a commercial flight to Anchorage because there wasn't room for her on the four-seater, single-engine plane.
Another one of the Blom children was on a high school volleyball team and traveled to Anchorage separately with his teammates, while a fourth was already living in the city as a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee had left Port Alsworth around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, but never arrived in Anchorage. It had carried the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Blom, 45, a Christian missionary; daughter Kaitlyn Blom, 14; and Zach Blom, 13. All lived in Port Alsworth, a small community on the shores of Lake Clark, inside the vast Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and about 165 miles southwest of Anchorage.
In the two days that followed Wednesday's report of the missing plane and people, searchers found the plane's co-pilot seat and three of its wheels floating on Lake Clark. They also found some of the plane occupants' personal items scattered in the water north and east of Port Alsworth, said statements from the National Park Service.
"So without a doubt, the airplane is unfortunately underwater," said Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board Alaska chief. Johnson said on Friday the agency was assuming the three passengers and pilot had died in the crash "unless we hear otherwise."
A search from the air was expected to continue Saturday. What led the plane to crash remains under investigation, Johnson said.
Those onboard
The Blom family of six lived in Port Alsworth for about seven years, according to family friend Jackie Wilder.
Scott Blom and his wife, Julie, had spearheaded a nationwide leadership training program for college students and military cadets through Lifelines, a branch of the evangelical organization Cru, once known as Campus Crusade for Christ, said a statement from the family provided Friday by Tanalian School Principal Nate Davis.
"The Bloms are based out of their home and lodge on Lake Clark and have a passion for serving Alaskans and helping them develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ," the statement said.
Wilder said the Bloms all helped out at Port Alsworth's small, public K-12 school, the Tanalian School, and were outgoing members of the tight-knit community of about 200 people. According to the family's statement, Scott Blom coached the high school boys basketball team.
Wilder said in the Bloms' spare time, they indulged in their love of the outdoors.
"They were out and about all the time; they were very kind, hardworking, thoughtful, smart," she said. "They loved hiking, boating, flying, hunting, trapping, fishing — they just loved everything that Alaska has to offer."
On Wednesday, the entire Blom family was supposed to be in Anchorage. The couple's oldest son, Josh, a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was already there, and the second oldest, Sam, had traveled with the volleyball team, Davis said.
The family's statement Friday said Kaitlyn and Zach were both honor roll students.
Kyle Longerbeam (Photo courtesy Longerbeam family)
Kyle Longerbeam (Photo courtesy Longerbeam family)
The statement described Longerbeam as an Alaska guide and "great friend to many." Joel Natwick, owner of Tanalian Aviation, described Longerbeam as a "good man."
"He was a talented guide and outdoorsman and he was a good pilot," he said.
Longerbeam had a private pilot certificate, according to state records. Photographs on Longerbeam's Facebook page show him out in Alaska's outdoors — fishing, hunting, wearing snowshoes and posing with pelts as well as a plane.
He was a former resident of Fairfield, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and "left everyone and everything behind … to live out his childhood dreams in Alaska," according to a statement issued Saturday by his brother, James "J.J." Longerbeam.
Longerbeam's life ended with him "doing what (he) loved to do," the statement said.
The plane takes off
Johnson said he could not provide information Friday on how many planes had also taken off from the Port Alsworth late Wednesday morning.
The community is not reachable by ground. Two flight services regularly operate out of Port Alsworth — Lake and Peninsula Airlines and Lake Clark Air, said Natwick, whose Tanalian Aviation is a helicopter tour company with a summer base in Port Alsworth.
Lake Clark Air declined to comment Friday, and Lake and Peninsula Airlines did not respond to calls.
Natwick said Longerbeam worked as a private pilot. According to the plane's tail number, the plane he flew Wednesday belonged to Glen Alsworth. The Alsworth family owns Lake Clark Air. It's unknown if Longerbeam rented or borrowed the plane.
What is known is that Longerbeam and the three Bloms took off from Port Alsworth in "less than stellar" weather, Johnson said. "But we need to get some more specifics there."
Johnson said pilots reported "a fair amount of fog and restricted visibility over the lake."
The plane's route during the 90-minute flight would have taken it above the lake and then through Lake Clark Pass to the northeast, Johnson said. Natwick said the plane would have likely followed the shoreline on the northeast side of the lake.
The National Weather Service's closest weather observation station to Port Alsworth is in Iliamna, to the southwest. Bill Ludwig, a NWS meteorologist, said Friday the weather in Iliamna can be fairly indicative of what's going on over Lake Clark.
Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said, Iliamna had a low ceiling, between 800 and 1,500 feet, with a brisk wind between 15 and 25 mph, and with temperatures around 3 degrees.
"The fact that they had pretty bad conditions there indicates that the weather was probably the same in the case of the Lake Clark area," Ludwig said.
Extensive searches have continued this week to find the four missing people and the plane. Natwick said he flew a helicopter over the area Wednesday and Thursday, assisting in the search, and reported poor visibility and fog over the lake.
Johnson, with the NTSB, said Friday that the agency was investigating the crash, including its cause.
Asked whether aircraft have been recovered before from deep in Lake Clark, Johnson recalled a crash in 2005 in which three girls died.
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According to the NTSB's final report on that crash, the girls' father lost depth perception in whiteout conditions and flew into the frozen lake. He and his wife were able to escape, but weren't able to free his daughters before the plane sank in roughly 800 feet of water.
Neither the victims nor the aircraft in the accident were ever recovered from the lake, Johnson said.
"They are still in the plane," Johnson said. "It was out in the middle — it was very deep."
Source: https://www.adn.com
Blom's family and friends, in their first detailed statements about what they knew about the circumstances of the plane crash, also said Friday that Blom's wife, Julie Blom, flew separately on a commercial flight to Anchorage because there wasn't room for her on the four-seater, single-engine plane.
Another one of the Blom children was on a high school volleyball team and traveled to Anchorage separately with his teammates, while a fourth was already living in the city as a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee had left Port Alsworth around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, but never arrived in Anchorage. It had carried the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Blom, 45, a Christian missionary; daughter Kaitlyn Blom, 14; and Zach Blom, 13. All lived in Port Alsworth, a small community on the shores of Lake Clark, inside the vast Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and about 165 miles southwest of Anchorage.
In the two days that followed Wednesday's report of the missing plane and people, searchers found the plane's co-pilot seat and three of its wheels floating on Lake Clark. They also found some of the plane occupants' personal items scattered in the water north and east of Port Alsworth, said statements from the National Park Service.
"So without a doubt, the airplane is unfortunately underwater," said Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board Alaska chief. Johnson said on Friday the agency was assuming the three passengers and pilot had died in the crash "unless we hear otherwise."
A search from the air was expected to continue Saturday. What led the plane to crash remains under investigation, Johnson said.
The Blom family of six lived in Port Alsworth for about seven years, according to family friend Jackie Wilder.
Scott Blom and his wife, Julie, had spearheaded a nationwide leadership training program for college students and military cadets through Lifelines, a branch of the evangelical organization Cru, once known as Campus Crusade for Christ, said a statement from the family provided Friday by Tanalian School Principal Nate Davis.
"The Bloms are based out of their home and lodge on Lake Clark and have a passion for serving Alaskans and helping them develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ," the statement said.
Wilder said the Bloms all helped out at Port Alsworth's small, public K-12 school, the Tanalian School, and were outgoing members of the tight-knit community of about 200 people. According to the family's statement, Scott Blom coached the high school boys basketball team.
Wilder said in the Bloms' spare time, they indulged in their love of the outdoors.
"They were out and about all the time; they were very kind, hardworking, thoughtful, smart," she said. "They loved hiking, boating, flying, hunting, trapping, fishing — they just loved everything that Alaska has to offer."
On Wednesday, the entire Blom family was supposed to be in Anchorage. The couple's oldest son, Josh, a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was already there, and the second oldest, Sam, had traveled with the volleyball team, Davis said.
The family's statement Friday said Kaitlyn and Zach were both honor roll students.
The statement described Longerbeam as an Alaska guide and "great friend to many." Joel Natwick, owner of Tanalian Aviation, described Longerbeam as a "good man."
"He was a talented guide and outdoorsman and he was a good pilot," he said.
Longerbeam had a private pilot certificate, according to state records. Photographs on Longerbeam's Facebook page show him out in Alaska's outdoors — fishing, hunting, wearing snowshoes and posing with pelts as well as a plane.
He was a former resident of Fairfield, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and "left everyone and everything behind … to live out his childhood dreams in Alaska," according to a statement issued Saturday by his brother, James "J.J." Longerbeam.
Longerbeam's life ended with him "doing what (he) loved to do," the statement said.
The plane takes off
Johnson said he could not provide information Friday on how many planes had also taken off from the Port Alsworth late Wednesday morning.
The community is not reachable by ground. Two flight services regularly operate out of Port Alsworth — Lake and Peninsula Airlines and Lake Clark Air, said Natwick, whose Tanalian Aviation is a helicopter tour company with a summer base in Port Alsworth.
Lake Clark Air declined to comment Friday, and Lake and Peninsula Airlines did not respond to calls.
Natwick said Longerbeam worked as a private pilot. According to the plane's tail number, the plane he flew Wednesday belonged to Glen Alsworth. The Alsworth family owns Lake Clark Air. It's unknown if Longerbeam rented or borrowed the plane.
What is known is that Longerbeam and the three Bloms took off from Port Alsworth in "less than stellar" weather, Johnson said. "But we need to get some more specifics there."
Johnson said pilots reported "a fair amount of fog and restricted visibility over the lake."
The plane's route during the 90-minute flight would have taken it above the lake and then through Lake Clark Pass to the northeast, Johnson said. Natwick said the plane would have likely followed the shoreline on the northeast side of the lake.
The National Weather Service's closest weather observation station to Port Alsworth is in Iliamna, to the southwest. Bill Ludwig, a NWS meteorologist, said Friday the weather in Iliamna can be fairly indicative of what's going on over Lake Clark.
Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said, Iliamna had a low ceiling, between 800 and 1,500 feet, with a brisk wind between 15 and 25 mph, and with temperatures around 3 degrees.
"The fact that they had pretty bad conditions there indicates that the weather was probably the same in the case of the Lake Clark area," Ludwig said.
Extensive searches have continued this week to find the four missing people and the plane. Natwick said he flew a helicopter over the area Wednesday and Thursday, assisting in the search, and reported poor visibility and fog over the lake.
Johnson, with the NTSB, said Friday that the agency was investigating the crash, including its cause.
Asked whether aircraft have been recovered before from deep in Lake Clark, Johnson recalled a crash in 2005 in which three girls died.
Aviation
Father, 2 kids were heading to Anchorage volleyball tournament when plane crashed
Author: Tegan Hanlon Updated: 2 hours ago Published 16 hours ago
The Blom family at Tanalian Falls near Port Alsworth. (Courtesy Nate Davis)
Scott Blom and two of his teenage children had been headed to a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage when they and their young pilot were killed in a plane crash Wednesday in Lake Clark, near the place where they started — Port Alsworth.
Blom's family and friends, in their first detailed statements about what they knew about the circumstances of the plane crash, also said Friday that Blom's wife, Julie Blom, flew separately on a commercial flight to Anchorage because there wasn't room for her on the four-seater, single-engine plane.
Another one of the Blom children was on a high school volleyball team and traveled to Anchorage separately with his teammates, while a fourth was already living in the city as a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee had left Port Alsworth around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, but never arrived in Anchorage. It had carried the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Blom, 45, a Christian missionary; daughter Kaitlyn Blom, 14; and Zach Blom, 13. All lived in Port Alsworth, a small community on the shores of Lake Clark, inside the vast Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and about 165 miles southwest of Anchorage.
In the two days that followed Wednesday's report of the missing plane and people, searchers found the plane's co-pilot seat and three of its wheels floating on Lake Clark. They also found some of the plane occupants' personal items scattered in the water north and east of Port Alsworth, said statements from the National Park Service.
"So without a doubt, the airplane is unfortunately underwater," said Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board Alaska chief. Johnson said on Friday the agency was assuming the three passengers and pilot had died in the crash "unless we hear otherwise."
A search from the air was expected to continue Saturday. What led the plane to crash remains under investigation, Johnson said.
Those onboard
The Blom family of six lived in Port Alsworth for about seven years, according to family friend Jackie Wilder.
Scott Blom and his wife, Julie, had spearheaded a nationwide leadership training program for college students and military cadets through Lifelines, a branch of the evangelical organization Cru, once known as Campus Crusade for Christ, said a statement from the family provided Friday by Tanalian School Principal Nate Davis.
"The Bloms are based out of their home and lodge on Lake Clark and have a passion for serving Alaskans and helping them develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ," the statement said.
Wilder said the Bloms all helped out at Port Alsworth's small, public K-12 school, the Tanalian School, and were outgoing members of the tight-knit community of about 200 people. According to the family's statement, Scott Blom coached the high school boys basketball team.
Wilder said in the Bloms' spare time, they indulged in their love of the outdoors.
"They were out and about all the time; they were very kind, hardworking, thoughtful, smart," she said. "They loved hiking, boating, flying, hunting, trapping, fishing — they just loved everything that Alaska has to offer."
On Wednesday, the entire Blom family was supposed to be in Anchorage. The couple's oldest son, Josh, a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was already there, and the second oldest, Sam, had traveled with the volleyball team, Davis said.
The family's statement Friday said Kaitlyn and Zach were both honor roll students.
Kyle Longerbeam (Photo courtesy Longerbeam family)
Kyle Longerbeam (Photo courtesy Longerbeam family)
The statement described Longerbeam as an Alaska guide and "great friend to many." Joel Natwick, owner of Tanalian Aviation, described Longerbeam as a "good man."
"He was a talented guide and outdoorsman and he was a good pilot," he said.
Longerbeam had a private pilot certificate, according to state records. Photographs on Longerbeam's Facebook page show him out in Alaska's outdoors — fishing, hunting, wearing snowshoes and posing with pelts as well as a plane.
He was a former resident of Fairfield, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and "left everyone and everything behind … to live out his childhood dreams in Alaska," according to a statement issued Saturday by his brother, James "J.J." Longerbeam.
Longerbeam's life ended with him "doing what (he) loved to do," the statement said.
The plane takes off
Johnson said he could not provide information Friday on how many planes had also taken off from the Port Alsworth late Wednesday morning.
The community is not reachable by ground. Two flight services regularly operate out of Port Alsworth — Lake and Peninsula Airlines and Lake Clark Air, said Natwick, whose Tanalian Aviation is a helicopter tour company with a summer base in Port Alsworth.
Lake Clark Air declined to comment Friday, and Lake and Peninsula Airlines did not respond to calls.
Natwick said Longerbeam worked as a private pilot. According to the plane's tail number, the plane he flew Wednesday belonged to Glen Alsworth. The Alsworth family owns Lake Clark Air. It's unknown if Longerbeam rented or borrowed the plane.
What is known is that Longerbeam and the three Bloms took off from Port Alsworth in "less than stellar" weather, Johnson said. "But we need to get some more specifics there."
Johnson said pilots reported "a fair amount of fog and restricted visibility over the lake."
The plane's route during the 90-minute flight would have taken it above the lake and then through Lake Clark Pass to the northeast, Johnson said. Natwick said the plane would have likely followed the shoreline on the northeast side of the lake.
The National Weather Service's closest weather observation station to Port Alsworth is in Iliamna, to the southwest. Bill Ludwig, a NWS meteorologist, said Friday the weather in Iliamna can be fairly indicative of what's going on over Lake Clark.
Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, he said, Iliamna had a low ceiling, between 800 and 1,500 feet, with a brisk wind between 15 and 25 mph, and with temperatures around 3 degrees.
"The fact that they had pretty bad conditions there indicates that the weather was probably the same in the case of the Lake Clark area," Ludwig said.
Extensive searches have continued this week to find the four missing people and the plane. Natwick said he flew a helicopter over the area Wednesday and Thursday, assisting in the search, and reported poor visibility and fog over the lake.
Johnson, with the NTSB, said Friday that the agency was investigating the crash, including its cause.
Asked whether aircraft have been recovered before from deep in Lake Clark, Johnson recalled a crash in 2005 in which three girls died.
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According to the NTSB's final report on that crash, the girls' father lost depth perception in whiteout conditions and flew into the frozen lake. He and his wife were able to escape, but weren't able to free his daughters before the plane sank in roughly 800 feet of water.
Neither the victims nor the aircraft in the accident were ever recovered from the lake, Johnson said.
"They are still in the plane," Johnson said. "It was out in the middle — it was very deep."
Source: https://www.adn.com
ANCHORAGE (KTUU) UPDATE: 4:20 P.M. -- Crews recovered the co-pilots seat and three wheels of the Piper PA-28 Cherokee aircraft Friday, according to the National Park Service. The search for the four passengers on board will hopefully continue Saturday if weather cooperates.
The missing Piper PA-28 Cherokee aircraft that carried four Port Alsworth residents is presumed to have crashed Wednesday into the waters of Lake Clark.
The four passengers on board the plane have been identified as Port Alsworth residents Scott Blom, 45, his children, Kaitlyn Blom, 14, and Zach Blom, 13, and pilot Kyle Longerbeam, 25.
Megan Richotte, public affairs liaison for the Park Service, said weather has been the biggest challenge so far for search crews.
"Early December, this year is no exception, we usually have ice fog forming on the lake particularly in the night and in the morning," said Richotte. "As fog forms on the lake, visibility is really difficult so not only are we dealing with short daylight hours as well as cold temperatures we are also dealing with low viability for aircraft."
The Blom family released a statement late Friday afternoon regarding their loved ones on board the missing plane:
"On Wednesday, December 7th, an airplane with 4 people on board, all residents of Port Alsworth, Alaska, left Port Alsworth bound for Anchorage to cheer on their Tanalian Lynx volleyball team at the Alaska State Championships. When the plane did not arrive on time, search parties were deployed and eventually found debris and passengers’ belongings on the waters of Lake Clark. The search for more evidence continues.
The pilot was Alaskan guide and great friend to many, Kyle Longerbeam. The passengers were Scott Blom and his children, Kaitlyn Blom (14) and Zach Blom (13). The children were both well-loved honor roll students at Tanalian School of the Lake & Peninsula School District. Scott and his wife, Julie, spearheaded a nationwide leadership training program for college students and military cadets through Lifelines, a branch of Cru. The Bloms are based out of their home and lodge on Lake Clark and have a passion for serving Alaskans and helping them develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ. Scott Blom was also the boys basketball coach at Tanalian High School. Their oldest son, Josh, is a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Their second oldest son, Sam, is a senior and Student Body Vice President at Tanalian School.
The family is so grateful to all for the outpouring of love."
Update
The missing Piper PA-28 Cherokee aircraft that carried four Port Alsworth residents is presumed to have crashed into the waters of Lake Clark, according to the National Park Service. Search crews will be at Lake Clark today, if weather permits. Water in the area is around 375 feet deep.
According to a National Park Service press release, aboard the plane were four Port Alsworth residents: pilot Kyle Longerbeam, 25, Scott Blom, 45, and his children, Kaitlyn Blom, 14, and Zach Blom, 13.
The National Park Service and the National Transportation Safety Board focus on Lake Clark's waters, near the area where the passenger items and debris were found, says John Quinley, Associate Regional Director of Communications & Operations for the park service.
Depending on weather conditions, search crews will head out with boats and aircrafts, today, says Quinley. And on Saturday, an Alaska State Trooper helicopter will join the search effort.
Original Story
Debris believed to be from an aircraft that went missing on a flight from Port Alsworth to Anchorage on Wednesday was located in Lake Clark National Park earlier today, according to a press release from the National Park Service.
At about 3 p.m., items belonging to the occupants of the Piper PA-28 Cherokee were located floating on Lake Clark by searchers on a boat based in Port Alsworth. The items were found north and east of Port Alsworth.
According to John Quinley, Associate Regional Director for Communications & Operations for the park service, The families of the pilot and three passengers on board are being notified this evening.
The investigation, search and planning for recovery will continue on Friday
Story and video: http://www.ktuu.com
Blom family: photo courtesy Nate Davis, family spokesperson (Back row: Sam, Julie, Scott, Josh...Front row: Zach, Kaitlyn)
Lyle LongerbeamThe National Park Service has two skiffs on the lake, as well a Super Cub. Private aircrafts are assisting. Because of ice on the bay, NPS can’t put their boats in the water, Richotte explained. She added that another ariel search is planned for Saturday.
Updated at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9
A single-engine Piper PA-28 with four passengers has presumably crashed into Lake Clark, according to a Friday release from National Park Service (NPS) spokesperson John Quinley.
“At this time no debris from the aircraft has been recovered,” wrote Quigley. “Water in the area is around 375 feet deep.”
Quigley confirmed the passengers on board are: 25-year-old pilot Kyle Longerbeam, 45-year-old Scott Blom and his children, 13-year-old Zach Blom and 14-year-old Kaitlyn Blom.
Searchers discovered debris floating on Lake Clark, inside of Lake Clark National Park Thursday afternoon, which they believe belongs to the passengers inside the plane.
No status of the passengers was immediately given.
The discovery was made around 3 p.m. Thursday. The items were discovered north and east of Port Alsworth. The family members of those on board were notified Thursday evening.
Search efforts will continue Friday, said Quigley. The NPS will use both air and watercraft in the search depending on ice conditions on the lake. A helicopter with the Alaska State Troopers is expected to join the search Saturday.
Updated at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8
A search effort continues Thursday for a plane carrying four people that left Port Alsworth Wednesday morning for Anchorage.
Besides the pilot, the three passengers on the plane have been identified as Scott Blom and two of his children. According to Pastor Johan Knies of the Community Church of the Rockies in Grand Lake, Colorado, Blom, his wife Julie, and their four children live in Port Alsworth, Alaska.
Their mission biography on the church website shows the family bought a cabin in Port Alsworth and established the Alaskan Leadership Adventures Lodge. The family also does missionary work in other Alaska villages. Knies told KTVA this is a difficult time for the church and the family.
The plane left Port Alsworth around 10:30 a.m. and never arrived at its destination of Merrill Field, according to Clint Johnson, spokesperson with the National Transportation Safety Board.
The 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard launched a search mission Wednesday using C-130 and MC-130 aircraft. The 210th Rescue Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base launched a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to assist.
The crews searched the areas north and south of Lake Clark Pass overnight Wednesday, but found no signs of the plane, according to Sgt. Edward Eagerton with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.
The plane, a Piper Pa-28-180 with four on board, was headed through Lake Clark pass on its way to Anchorage and was scheduled to arrive around 12 p.m. Wednesday.
Crews were unable to search inside the pass due to heavy fog, said Eagerton. He also said crews have not picked up any type of locator beacon from the plane.
The C-130 and HH-60 headed to the area again Thursday morning before sunrise to continue the search. Additionally, five aircraft from the Civil Air Patrol have joined in the search.
The MC-130, which helped in Wednesday’s search efforts, is from the California Air National Guard, currently conducting a training operation in Alaska. A para-rescue squad from the Alaska Air National Guard is on board the MC-130, according to Eagerton.
Source: http://www.ktva.com
Searchers were hoping for good weather Friday that would allow them to venture out onto Lake Clark to search for a plane with four aboard that apparently went down into the lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve shortly after takeoff from Port Alsworth, Alaska.
"Items belonging to the passengers in the plane were located on Thursday afternoon on the lake, about 11 miles northeast of Port Alsworth. The single-engine Piper PA-28 is presumed to have crashed in the water, although at this time no debris from the aircraft has been recovered. Water in the area is around 375 feet deep," said John Quinley, associate regional director for communications and operations for the Park Service's Alaska operations.
"The plane was carrying four residents of Port Alsworth: pilot Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Scott Blom, 45, and his children, Zach Blom, 13, and Kaitlyn Blom, 14," said Mr. Quinley.
The weather forecast Friday for the area called for fog, light snow, and temperatures around 11 degrees, he said.
"National Park Service will use boats and aircraft depending on weather and ice conditions," said Mr. Quinley. "An Alaska State Trooper helicopter is expected to join the effort on Saturday. The National Transportation Safety Board is working closely with the Park Service."
The pilot was heading to Anchorage, about 175 miles northeast of the 4-million-acre Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
Source: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com
ANCHORAGE — A small airplane ferrying a father and his two teenage children to Anchorage presumably plunged into an expansive Alaska lake shortly after taking off from a nearby rural community, officials said Friday.
No bodies have been found, but items belonging to the pilot and three passengers on board were discovered floating Thursday in Lake Clark, said John Quinley, a spokesman for the National Park Service in Alaska.
The names of the four were released Friday, a day after families were notified that debris belonging to them had been located.
All four on board the single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee plane were from Port Alsworth, a small community about 170 miles southwest of Anchorage. They included the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, 25; Scott Blom, 45, and his children, Kaitlyn Blom, 14, and Zach Blom, 13.
Quinley said the family had lived there for about three years.
The debris was found about 3 p.m. Thursday, about 11 miles northeast of Port Alsworth.
Searchers in boats and airplanes forced to stop work because it got dark returned at daybreak Friday to resume looking for the missing airplane in the 375-foot deep lake. An Alaska State Trooper helicopter was set to help searchers Saturday if needed.
Ice that would hinder searchers has not totally covered the 42-mile long lake, allowing access by boat.
The plane left Port Alsworth about 10 a.m. Wednesday and was due to land two hours later in Anchorage.
Responders said the initial search area was hampered by fog and darkness at Lake Clark Pass, a narrow mountain river valley that was believed to be part of the aircraft's flight path.
Searchers found no indication of any emergency locator beacon being activated in the area, Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Edward Eagerton said.
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