Helicopter sinks in Chelatna Lake; bystander pulls both survivors from water

A helicopter went down in Chelatna Lake near Skwentna on Sunday afternoon and sank, but both occupants survived after a neighbor in a boat pulled them from the water.

Alaska State Troopers' B Detachment received the report at 3:38 p.m. on July 5. The two occupants got out of the aircraft before it sank. A nearby boater pulled them from the lake. A private plane then flew the survivors to Talkeetna, where they were treated for minor injuries.

The aircraft remains submerged. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.

Prior Record

The region carries a documented aviation record. In March 2013, a State of Alaska Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed near Talkeetna during a search and rescue flight, killing three people. The NTSB later determined the probable cause was "the pilot's decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of control." That investigation also found that Alaska DPS lacked organizational policies to ensure operational risk was properly managed.

The helicopter in Sunday's crash has not been identified by type or operator in the trooper dispatch. Cause of the crash is unknown pending the NTSB investigation.