Air Guard helicopter rescues pilot after crash 35 miles north of JBER

A pilot suffered minor injuries when the single-engine plane he was flying crashed about 35 miles north of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the night of Oct. 1, the Alaska Air National Guard said. A Guard helicopter crew flew him to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for treatment. The Guard release gave no further update on his condition.

The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the mission after a call from the Kenai Flight Service Station about a crashed aircraft, according to a Guard press release posted Oct. 5. The center is a 176th Wing unit based at JBER. It handles all aeronautical search-and-rescue cases in Alaska, military and civilian, and operates under the National Search and Rescue Plan, according to the wing.

The Guard accepted the mission and sent a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter with 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angels aboard. The crew spotted the wrecked light utility aircraft, the pilot and two Good Samaritans who happened to be nearby. The helicopter set down in a clearing next to the site. Guardsmen picked up the pilot, gave him medical aid and flew him to Anchorage. The Guard did not release his name.

The same squadrons handled two crashes on Sept. 10, one about 20 miles east of Palmer and one near Skwentna, and flew both pilots to Providence, according to an earlier Guard release.

After this rescue, rescue center officials urged aircraft owners to install 406 MHz emergency locator transmitters with up-to-date registration information to speed rescue efforts. The center's emergency line is 1-800-420-7230. The local number is 551-7230, the wing says.