A small airplane crashed during take off this morning around 8:25 am at Merrill Field in Anchorage. The pilot and sole occupant is confirmed dead.
Lana Jensen was waiting for her flight to Nondalton when she saw it happen.
“I was just standing there watching the planes take off and noticed that plane was having strut problems. And I just heard it sputter and it went straight down.”
Jensen says she’s not really sure what to think about it. “It’s kind of traumatizing. I don’t want to go home… just stay here now. But no, I have to go home. I have to go fishing.”
Police arrived on the scene within three minutes of receiving the report of the crash.
All of the runways at Merrill were closed for about an hour, but they have all since reopened.
The Anchorage Police Department says they will likely release the name of the deceased tomorrow.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
