Aircraft Removed Following Aug. 6 Accident in Katmai National Park and Preserve

Contact: Matt Johnson, 907.469.1131

KING SALMON - Cleanup following an Aug. 6 floatplane accident in Katmai National Park and Preserve has been completed. The aircraft was successfully removed from the site Aug. 11, and no injuries were reported in the accident.

The single-engine floatplane crashed about 6 p.m. Aug. 6 near lower Moraine Creek. Upon completion of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the incident, the National Park Service staff subsequently coordinated with the aircraft owner to permit removal of the aircraft and cleanup of the site, completed Aug. 11.

Fuel from the aircraft remained contained following the accident. National Park Service staff will conduct a final site inspection to assess the area and verify cleanup requirements have been met.

"We are grateful that no one was injured in this accident and that the aircraft was removed safely," said Katmai National Park and Preserve Superintendent Mark Sturm. "Protecting Katmai's natural resources is an important part of our responsibility following an incident like this. Our staff will complete a final inspection of the site to ensure cleanup requirements have been met."

Aircraft are an important means of transportation throughout Katmai National Park and Preserve, where much of the landscape is remote and inaccessible by road. Commercial aviation provides access for many visitors traveling to destinations throughout the park and preserve.

The National Transportation Safety Board is the lead agency investigating the accident. Questions regarding the circumstances or cause of the accident should be directed to the NTSB's Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage.

For more information about Katmai National Park visit www.nps.gov/katm and follow us on Facebook, Youtube, Flickr, or Instagram.

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