Palmer pilot and Michigan passenger killed in eastern Alaska plane crash

Two people died when a Piper Super Cub went down in eastern Alaska on Sept. 17, two days after a separate fatal crash near Aniak.

Alaska State Troopers identified them as pilot Cabot Pitts, 42, of Palmer, and passenger Connor Helsel, 18, of Michigan. The plane had just taken off from a dirt airstrip in the Nabesna area, troopers said in their dispatch, and the report reached them at 7:51 pm.

The National Transportation Safety Board places the crash near Northway instead, and puts the time at 1:40 pm, about six hours before troopers were notified. Its investigation is open, and it has not released a cause.

In the Aniak crash on Sept. 15, pilot Nicholas Peters, 34, of Eagle River, and passenger John "Jack" Ervin, 50, of Missouri, died when their Cessna 185 went down after taking off from a moose camp.