Floatplane wreckage removed from Katmai's lower Moraine Creek

Fuel from a floatplane that crashed near lower Moraine Creek in Katmai National Park and Preserve remained contained, and the wreckage has been removed, the National Park Service said. Moraine Creek drains to Kukaklek Lake, headwaters of the Alagnak Wild River, where hundreds of thousands of salmon return each summer.

The plane went down about 6 p.m. Aug. 6, with no injuries reported. Removal and cleanup finished Aug. 11, after the National Transportation Safety Board completed its on-site investigation and park staff coordinated with the owner. Park staff will conduct a final inspection to verify cleanup requirements have been met.

"We are grateful that no one was injured in this accident and that the aircraft was removed safely," Superintendent Mark Sturm said.

Other aircraft have gone down in the park: a 2018 crash at Kukaklek Lake, in the same drainage, and a July 2025 crash landing near Brooks Camp. The NTSB is the lead agency investigating the cause.