At 4:40 pm on Yuesday afternoon, the Alaska State Troopers were notified of a plane crash that had occurred on the Kuskokwim River just above Upper Kalskag.

The aircraft involved in the crash was a Cessna 172, owned and operated by the Kuspuk School District crashed within sight of the village after it had taken off at approximately 4:30 pm. The weather conditions deteriorated about the time the aircraft left the village.

The Cessna, operated by pilot, 44-year-old Aniak resident Steve Bruckner of Aniak, was attempting to fly along the river when it crashed onto the ice and flipped over.

Volunteers from the village responded to the crash scene along with medical personnel from the community’s clinic.

Aboard the aircraft besides the pilot were 52-year-old Aniak resident Brian Foley and 55-year-old Anchorage resident Roy Guernsey.

All three people in the crash were medevaced out of the village. Guernsey was flown to Providence Hospital in Anchorage, while Foley and Bruckner were flown to the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Center in Bethel.

All three are now listed in stable condition.

The Alaska State Troopers and Fish and Wildlife Troopers conducted an investigation at the scene of the crash. The FAA as well as the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of the crash.

Upper Kalskag his located on the north bank of the Kuskokwim River two miles upriver from Lower Kalskag and thirty miles west of Aniak. The community lies 99 miles northeast of Bethel. Upper Kalskag has a population of approximately 220 people.