Article

2006-04-24 Great White North

5 killed as small planes collide above Palmer Hay Flats, Alaska

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Posted by Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 15:06|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Article got away from me before I could finish the headline. Should read "Alaska" at the end of the headline. Please fix, editors. Had people contact me to see if I was involved. No, I wasn't, but it was a tragedy, especially with 3 kids killed. It happened about 7 miles north of my airport at Birchwood, Alaska. Always be humble and keep your head on a swivel if you are a pilot.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 15:11|| 2006-04-24 15:11|| Front Page Top

#2 done, AP.

Glad you're safe, sad to read about these deaths.

Posted by lotp 2006-04-24 15:17|| 2006-04-24 15:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Alaska has a whole lotta airspace. It's so odd that these two planes found themselves so close together...

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-04-24 15:34|| 2006-04-24 15:34|| Front Page Top

#4 The "Big Sky" theory works for a while, but don't depend on it for your life.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 15:37|| 2006-04-24 15:37|| Front Page Top

#5 I didn't know you were so close to Wasilla Paul, gottum friends near there.

Birchwood Looking North across the ["big Muddy"] Knik at part of the Palmer Hay Flats

Posted by RD 2006-04-24 15:55|| 2006-04-24 15:55|| Front Page Top

#6 Very sad, especially when children are involved.

Posted by Besoeker 2006-04-24 16:36|| 2006-04-24 16:36|| Front Page Top

#7 RD---Wasilla airport is only 10 minutes by air from Birchwood. When I leave Birchwood heading west or NW toward the Alaska Range or Fairbanks, I always climb up to 4500 ft if the weather permits. Altitude is your friend unless you are on fire.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 20:16|| 2006-04-24 20:16|| Front Page Top

#8 Paul,
I've been buy Eagle River many times on the way to Shannon's place from Anchorage. Hiked a little bit of it after lunch one day 7 years ago during a salmon run..

That whole area from Palmer back to Eagle River is a beautiful home base, if you try real hard [hard not to explore every minute] you can rest up and launch the next outbound trek...Course why am I telling you, you live there!! lol

Posted by RD 2006-04-24 22:17|| 2006-04-24 22:17|| Front Page Top

#9 Right-O, RD. I live 6 miles up the South Fork of Eagle River. We are 2 miles from the trailhead going up the valley. Chugach state park is literally in our back yard.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 22:51|| 2006-04-24 22:51|| Front Page Top

#10 I just got a call from M'Lady, and she said that one of her colleagues saw the crash, which occured at about 800 ft altitude. The family with the 3 kids had an older boy that decided not to go on the flight and stayed home. The mother was coming back from a trip to a college that they were considering for an older son. M'Lady's principal at her school was up calling kids' families till late last night so they could be told before they went to school this morning. Very sad events.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-04-24 23:27|| 2006-04-24 23:27|| Front Page Top

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