News

King Cove Plane Crash Amplifies Need for Road Link to Cold Bay Airport

April 27, 2010

(From left to right) Passengers Trisha Trumble, Eric DiGerlando, Steve Cypra and Charley Palmer unload their baggage from the plane after the Cherokee Saratoga crash landed in King Cove on April 27, 2010. Fortunately, no one on board the plane was injured

King Cove, AK – April 27, 2010 – Residents living in King Cove, Alaska are even more adamant about the need for a road to the Cold Bay Airport after a small plane crashed yesterday afternoon at the King Cove airstrip. Fortunately, the four passengers and the pilot were not injured. The National Transportation Safety Board has temporarily closed the airstrip while they investigate what led to the crash.

“You can’t imagine how frightening it is to see the plane head into a crash landing when your daughter is on board,” said Della Trumble, long-time advocate of the proposed road and spokeswoman for the King Cove Corporation.

Trumble witnessed a down draft slamming the Cherokee Saratoga down to the King Cove runway as she waited for her daughter’s plane to land. She said just before the plane hit the runway, the pilot was able to pull the nose up.

“It was crazy. You don’t ever think something like this would happen to you until it does,” said 21-year-old passenger Trisha Trumble. “I was scared to death.”

“It’s ironic that this happened during the week that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting scoping meetings in the Aleutians East Borough’s communities,” said Della Trumble.  “I am so grateful that my daughter and everyone else on board is o.k.”

The Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting public meetings related to the Environmental Impact Statement on the land exchange and road corridor that will connect King Cove to the Cold Bay Airport through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
 
“This is why it’s so critical that we have safe and reliable surface transportation between King Cove and Cold Bay. This accident just brings the message home how desperately we need this road connection,” said Aleutians East Borough Mayor Stanley Mack. 

 The scoping meetings will continue through the week, concluding Thursday (April 29, 2010) in King Cove.

For more information, visit http://www.izembekenhancement.org/ ,  http://www.kingcoveview.com/ and http://www.aleutianseast.org/ .