The bodies of two men have been recovered from a plane that was found face down in a lake on Saturday, Alaska State Troopers said. Troopers were notified late Friday of the upside-down aircraft in Six Mile Lake near the Athabascan community of Nondalton, located about 322 kilometres southwest of Anchorage.
The bodies of Dave Hedgers, 58, and Aaron Fryer, 45, were found by a dive team dead inside the aircraft, troopers said in an online post. No hometowns were provided.
The bodies will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on the social media platform X that it would investigate the crash of a Taylorcraft BC-12 aircraft near Nondalton.
According to a site which tracks plane details, the Taylorcraft BC-12D is a classic aircraft from the late 1940s that can reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. It has a welded steel fuselage, side-by-side seating, dual car-style doors, and control wheels.
The BC-12D has a Continental A-50 engine and a semi-symmetrical 23000 series airfoil, which is known for low drag and less gentle stall characteristics. The wings use pressed aluminium ribs over wooden spars.
This is a developing story. More details will be added.
