Alaska State Troopers reported on the Trooper dispatch this morning of a plane crash at the Big Lake Airport at 2:25 am Sunday morning where the pilot of the aircraft lost his life and the passenger in the plane suffered possibly life-threatening injuries.

According to troopers, killed in the crash was pilot, 50-year-old Christopher Cyphers of Anchorage.

The identity of the passenger was not released by the Department of Public Safety. That person was transported to an Anchorage area hospital by LifeMed.

Troopers report that the aircraft suffered “some type of engine problem,” after take-off and Cyphers attempted to put the aircraft back down at the airport but struck trees and possibly power lines as he attempted to do so. After he hit the trees, the single engine Piper Comanche crash landed into the roadway near the airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board as well as the Federal Aviation Board was informed of the crash. 

The State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage and Cypher’s remains were transported there for autopsy.

Next of kin was notified.

  airport, Alaska, big lake, comanche, crash, piper, plane