Alaska State Troopers reported that an aircraft on the way to Port Alsworth on Tuesday evening ran out of fuel while enroute, causing the aircraft to crash and overturn.

At 7:47 pm on Tuesday, troopers received a report of the activation of a Personal Locator Beacon approximately 20 miles northwest of Port Alsworth. Troopers from Iliamna launched an aircraft and headed to the scene. While enroute, thte troopers also heard the activation of the Aircraft’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT).

The crash site was located, and the pilot observed the overturned aircraft with two of the occupants standing nearby. Troopers notified the Rescue Command Center, who also launched, traveled to the scene, and retrieved the pilot and two passengers. RCC transported “pilot Mark McNeill 61, of Oklahoma, aircraft owner Rocky McElveen 64, of California and Talon Heying 24, of California to Iliamna,” troopers report.

One person aboard the aircraft suffered a cut above his eye, but all of the occupants declined medical treatment.

The pilot, Mark McNeill, said that while they were on their way to Port Alsworth, to pick up additional fuel, the aircraft ran out, causing the aircraft to go down.

The occupants of the aircraft spent the night in Iliamna courtesy of John Baechler.

  aircraft, crash, fuel, iliamna, mcelveen, mcneill, port alsworth