A pilot with Bethel-based air carrier Yute Commuter Service is uninjured after being forced to land on a frozen slough several miles southwest of Aniak on the evening of Jan. 14.
According to a company statement, the pilot had just taken off from Aniak to return to Bethel when the Cessna 207 encountered engine anomalies and the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing.
The pilot was the only occupant on board the plane. Yute Commuter Service said that the pilot was not injured, and that the plane was not damaged in the incident. The company said that a team of Aniak locals responded by snowmachine to return the pilot to Aniak within a few hours of the event.
According to National Weather Service data, the temperature at Aniak was 31 degrees below zero Fahrenheit at the time of the incident. It is not yet known if the cold temperatures were a factor.
As of Jan. 15, National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Clint Johnson said that the agency was still working to confirm the circumstances of the incident.
In its statement, Yute Commuter Service said that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and conducting its own internal review to ensure continued safe operations.
