CORDOVA, Alaska (Local News Wire) – A plane crash in mountainous terrain southeast of Cordova on June 18 resulted in the death of pilot Michael Grimes, 51.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Grimes, flying an experimental Piper PA-20, departed Yakutat Airport around 10:28 a.m. without a filed flight plan.
Authorities confirmed that the plane crashed approximately 44 miles from Cordova, at an elevation of 1,190 feet, just past noon. A post-crash fire destroyed much of the wreckage.
Witnesses reported that Grimes attempted to leave Yakutat earlier but returned due to poor weather. He had purchased automotive gasoline for the flight after being informed that aviation fuel was unavailable.
Grimes’ commercial pilot certificate had been suspended, and his medical certificate was expired at the time of the accident, according to NTSB reports.
A family member stated that Grimes was relocating to Fairbanks and had not communicated with any air traffic control during the flight.
The airplane was reported overdue by a relative on the evening of June 18. Recovery efforts were complicated due to the crash location, with the Alaska Army National Guard discovering the wreckage on June 19.
Grimes’ body was recovered and has been transported back to California. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.