Weather may have been a factor in April 8th’s plane crash on Admiralty Island. The crash killed the pilot and two passengers and badly injured another person on board.
The Sunrise Aviation flight began in Wrangell and was headed to Angoon, about 110 miles to the northwest.
A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report says pilot David Galla had changed course due to low clouds and reduced visibility.
Shaun Williams is a safety board investigator.
“From what we’ve been told when he spoke with the director of operations at Sunrise (Aviation), he did turn around because he could not get through Pybus Bay,” Williams said. “So now we just want to verify everything and verify how the weather was at the time.”
Pybus Bay is on the south end of Admiralty Island, about four-fifths of the way from Wrangell to Angoon.
Williams said information from the plane’s GPS unit and a weather study could provide more details of the conditions and route change.
Pieces of the Cessna 206 were helicoptered to Juneau for examination. Williams said no obvious problems were found.
“The engine and propeller have both been retained for shipment down to Mobile, Alabama, for further examination and testing at a later date,” said Williams.
In addition to the pilot, the crash killed Greg Scheff and Thomas Siekawitch of Wrangell.
The injured passenger, Morgan Enright of Ketchikan, remains at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
A website post from her mother Friday says Enright is improving. She is breathing on her own and recognizing family members.
Medical center staff could not be immediately reached for an update of her status. As of Thursday, she remained in critical condition.