An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 9, 2015

Alaska National Guard saves two after plane crashes at snowy airstrip

By Staff Sgt. Edward Eagerton 176th Wing Public Affairs, Alaska National Guard

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued two people Saturday after their plane crashed at a remote airstrip southeast of Skwentna, Alaska.

According to the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the two individuals were attempting to land at a remote airstrip near Eight Mile Lake when the plane flipped over during landing.

"The snow was too deep," said Master Sgt. Armando Soria, superintendent of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. "The aircraft was not equipped with skis, and as they were attempting to land, the snow caught the wheels and flipped the plane."

Though the two survivors were uninjured from the crash, they were not prepared with survival gear, and were unable to make their way out on their own, Soria said.

"Nobody would have been able to get to them by ground," said Soria. "They were approximately 30 miles from a ground team, and they would have had to cross rivers and streams that weren't frozen yet."

After being notified by the Alaska State Troopers, the Rescue Coordination Center decided which assets would be most effective for the response.

"Darkness was approaching, so we couldn't send out the Civil Air Patrol," Soria said, "and so we sent out the HH-60."

The Alaska Air National Guard launched an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from the 210th Rescue Squadron with a team of pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron on board out of JBER.

The team flew to the location, rescued the survivors and flew them to Mat-Su Regional Hospital, where they were released to medical personnel.

"It's important to remember to be prepared when you're navigating the skies of the Alaska wilderness," said Soria. "You can't take for granted the size and scope of this state, and how much the weather can play a role in your survivability in the event something unexpected happens. It is important to always pack at least the minimal essential survival gear, ensure you have an emergency locater beacon. That will help your chance of survival."

For this mission, the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded two saves.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers with the Army National Guard speak with D.C. locals while patrolling Metro Center Aug 26, 2025. About 2,000 National Guard members are supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission providing critical support to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the District.
Guard Members From Six States, D.C. on Duty in Washington in Support of Local, Fed Authorities
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Aug. 29, 2025
WASHINGTON – More than 2,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from six states and the District of Columbia are on duty in Washington as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia in support of local and federal...

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Russel Honore, Task Force Katrina commander, and Brig. Gen. John Basilica, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, talk to news media during the aftermath of Hurricane Rita on Sep. 29, 2005. Basilica was appointed commander of Task Force Pelican, responsible for coordinating National Guard hurricane response efforts across the State. The task force included tens of thousands of National Guard Soldiers from Louisiana and other states.
Louisiana Guard’s Tiger Brigade Marks 20th Anniversary of Redeployment and Hurricane Response
By Rhett Breerwood, | Aug. 29, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – This fall, the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Tiger Brigade, commemorates the 20th anniversary of its redeployment from Iraq in September 2005, coinciding with the...

Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk aviators and Guardian Angels, assigned to the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons, respectively, conduct a hoist rescue demonstration while participating in a multi-agency hoist symposium at Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 22, 2025. The symposium, hosted by Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, included U.S. Coast Guard crews assigned to Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic out of Air Stations Kodiak and Sitka, Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 176th Wing rescue squadrons, U.S. Army aviators from Fort Wainwright’s 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion, Alaska State Troopers, and civilian search and rescue professional volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. The collaborative training drew on the participants’ varied backgrounds, experiences, and practices, to enhance hoist proficiency and collective readiness when conducting life-saving search and rescue missions in Alaska’s vast and austere terrain. (Alaska Army National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)
Alaska Air Guard Conducts Multiple Hoist Rescues of Stranded Rafters on Kichatna River
By Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount, | Aug. 29, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Alaska Air National Guard members with the 176th Wing rescued three rafters Aug. 28 after their raft flipped over on the Kichatna River.The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened...