Aircraft with the Civil Air Patrol and the Air Guard are searching for a missing pilot from Russian Mission.
According to Alaska State Troopers, around 6:30pm Monday evening, the Rescue Coordination Center informed Troopers of an overdue aircraft. Kyle Stevens of Russian Mission was reportedly flying to Bethel in a Cessna 205 along with another pilot in a separate airplane.
Troopers say the other pilot told authorities when Stevens did not land in Bethel. Weather may have been a factor, as the other pilot reported he had encountered heavy fog near the Russian Hills.
Planes with the Civil Air Patrol in Bethel along with an Air Guard HH-60 from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson launched to search the skies for Stevens yesterday.
An airplane was located in the Yukon River approximately 10 miles downriver from Russian Mission. The plane was confirmed to be the missing aircraft, but Stevens remains unaccounted for.
Image at top: Cessna aircraft, file photo; David Dodman, KNOM.
