Crash

The plane appears to have crashed in a wooded area near the village under unknown circumstances, according to online federal aviation records.

Captain Dave Furber of Anchorage was 73 years old, and first officer Sergei Zelenkov II of Chugiak was 34 years old when the Cessna 441 Conquest they were flying crashed on the remote cape on the Bering Sea coast, killing all eight on board.

Joseph "Joe" Palmer and Tom Fisher worked for Calista Brice, a subsidiary of Calista Corporation.

Pilot Eric Middlebrook, 68, of Anchorage died along with three passengers from California: Ronald Schmidt, 65, Lance Schmidt, 20, and Daniel Simons, 82.

The plane was chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fly from Anchorage to Cape Newenham, located roughly 25 miles south of Platinum.

The civilian-contracted aircraft crashed at the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, roughly 450 miles west of Anchorage.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Cessna 185 was taking off from a remote airstrip in the area when its left landing gear strut failed, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Aniak.

On Tuesday, July 22, the National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the Sept. 2023 plane crash near St. Mary’s that resulted in the death of pilot Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., 57.

The civil suit filed in Bethel Superior Court on July 18 alleges negligent actions by hunting guide Bruce Werba and two companies under Werba’s control caused Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola Jr.’s death.

No injuries have been reported, but the plane sustained significant damage, according to federal air safety officials. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.