Nine passengers who perished in a plane crash in Soldotna, Alaska on Sunday are believed to be from South Carolina.
Ten people – the nine as-yet-unidentified passengers and one pilot – perished in the crash, which occurred at 11:20 a.m. EDT on Sunday morning in the small town seventy miles southwest of Anchorage.
The pilot has been identified as Walter Rediske, owner of a local air charter service. The bodies of all ten victims were sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsies. Officials there are confirming the identities of the victims and notifying their next-of-kin in the Palmetto State – a process they said could take more than three days.
S.C. Rep. Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville) jumped the gun on that process, though, telling Fox Carolina that Milton Antonakos of Greenville, S.C., his wife Kimberly and their three children were among the victims of the crash.
Soldotna – which is located on the Kenai Peninsula – draws tourists, hunters, fishermen and hikers. The region is home to numerous glaciers, lakes and ice fields.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are expected to arrive in Soldotna on Monday to conduct a probe of the accident. The plane that crashed was a twenty-seat de Havilland DHC3 Otter air taxi – a propeller plane. According to witnesses, the aircraft was engulfed by flames shortly after takeoff.
Developing …
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12 comments
They were from Greenville. Rest in Peace and sorry to hear this.
Oh my gosh. 5 of the victims were a family that were close neighbors and friends of my son in law’s sister. Sad, sad, sad. God bless the family. What a tragedy.
They were from Greenville. Rest in Peace and sorry to hear this.
Oh my gosh. 5 of the victims were a family that were close neighbors and friends of my son in law’s sister. Sad, sad, sad. God bless the family. What a tragedy.
My condolences to the families affected, including the pilot. Otters are remarkably robust aircraft and I hate to hear of one failing. I just hope there wasn’t any type of foul play involved.
God rest their souls.
My condolences to the families affected, including the pilot. Otters are remarkably robust aircraft and I hate to hear of one failing. I just hope there wasn’t any type of foul play involved.
God rest their souls.
Did anyone else raise eyebrows when a State House Rep made the announcement? Inappropriate grandstanding?
He was their next door neighbor and their kids were in school together. I hardly call that grandstanding. May they rest in peace.
Did anyone else raise eyebrows when a State House Rep made the announcement? Inappropriate grandstanding?
He was their next door neighbor and their kids were in school together. I hardly call that grandstanding. May they rest in peace.
Bannister needs to keep his freakin’ mouth shut.
Bannister needs to keep his freakin’ mouth shut.