Dillingham-based Alaska State Troopers report that a Grant Aviation pilot died in a plane crash on a mountainside between Perryville and Chignik Lake on Monday.

Troopers say that they were notified at 3:40 pm of the crash of Grant Aviation’s Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft, two and a half hours after the aircraft’s Emergency Locator Beacon was activated.

The U.S. Coast Guard at Airstation Kodiak, launched a Jayhawk helicopter to respond to the scene, Upon arrival, a rescue swimmer was lowered to the steep mountainside and determined that the pilot and only occupant, 54-year-old Gabriele Cianetti, had perished in the crash.

Recovery efforts are continuing today.

Cianetti’s next of kin have been notified of his death.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

  Coast Guard, crash, deceased, Gabriele Cianetti, grant aviation, perryville