Long time guide and pilot Art Ward and his wife left their home in Salcha on a flight to their homestead in McCarthy and are now three days overdue.
So all you pilots keep an eye out

That’s sad!

Hope that they find them quickly!

he's a hellova pilot here's hoping

We all have our fingers crossed.
My daughter and wife are in town with their grandkids while the family helps with the search.
Alaska is a mighty big state when one has to unravel all the valleys, passes and canyons they could have diverted into

I hope they are found soon and safe. In God's speed.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-new...e-onboard-continues/

Searchers continued combing a vast swath of Alaska's Interior for a small plane missing since Sunday with a well-known Salcha couple onboard.

The missing pilot is Art Ward, said Margie Steigerwald, the public information officer for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. His wife, Ann Ward, 59, was also onboard the Piper PA-18 Super Cub.

The couple took off from Salcha, southeast of Fairbanks, sometime between noon and 1 p.m. Sunday, said Candis Olmstead, director of public affairs for the Alaska National Guard.

The couple was heading to their homestead, which is west of McCarthy, and they were expected to arrive that same afternoon, Olmstead said.

A family member contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center on Monday to report the plane overdue.

Steigerwald said Ward, 63, is a pilot and a game guide in the Brooks Range, and is known in the McCarthy community and Alaska hunting and aviation circles.

Ward and his wife own property south of Salcha. While it's believed they were flying to the McCarthy area, their exact destination is unclear, Steigerwald said.

The Alaska Air National Guard was also searching with help from four Civil Air Patrol planes and two Marine Corps aircraft.

A National Park Service plane and several McCarthy-area air taxi and lodge airplanes were also involved in the search Tuesday.

I take it no emergency locator on board.

Or maybe they are on the bottom of a very deep lake

ELT's fire most of the time ,
but not always.
Also, if a "soft" impact they typically do not fire

hope they are found safe

art if a good pilot and very familiar with the area so it is very possible he set it down somewhere

The youngest daughter Sarah just posted on Facebook that the wreckage was located near the base of Mt Hayes. There were no survivors

Very sorry to hear that about your friends Phil. Prayers for their family.

Grace and Peace to Family and Friends during this time of loss and grief.

Troopers: Missing plane with Salcha couple on board found, with no survivors

https://www.adn.com/alaska-new...ds-for-search-costs/

Oh dear. Not the news everyone was hoping to hear. Sorry for the loss of your good friends. I wonder if we'll ever know what happened?

Very sad indeed.

Sad,sad news,my prayers to the family.

Terrible outcome, prayers for family.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
The youngest daughter Sarah just posted on Facebook that the wreckage was located near the base of Mt Hayes. There were no survivors

What a shame.

May their memory be eternal.

I've flown with Art. He was one of the best bush pilots up here. Something went very wrong as Art didn't make mistakes in the air.
May god bless Art and Ann and comfort their family.

I don't think Art had an ELT in his plane.
My buddy just lost a close friend in Sitka. His Super Cub had and ELT and it didn't signal so they don't always work. My buddy recovered the plane and just yesterday turned the engine over to the NTSB.

quote:

Originally posted by Alaska Hunter:
I've flown with Art. He was one of the best bush pilots up here. Something went very wrong as Art didn't make mistakes in the air.
May god bless Art and Ann and comfort their family.

I don't think Art had an ELT in his plane.
My buddy just lost a close friend in Sitka. His Super Cub had and ELT and it didn't signal so they don't always work. My buddy recovered the plane and just yesterday turned the engine over to the NTSB.

I was wondering if maybe he had a heart attack or something...as the saying goes, there aren't any old bold pilots.

all i know is that the yellow supercub is going to be badly missed

Damn shame!!

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

quote:

Originally posted by Alaska Hunter:
I've flown with Art. He was one of the best bush pilots up here. Something went very wrong as Art didn't make mistakes in the air.
May god bless Art and Ann and comfort their family.

I don't think Art had an ELT in his plane.
My buddy just lost a close friend in Sitka. His Super Cub had and ELT and it didn't signal so they don't always work. My buddy recovered the plane and just yesterday turned the engine over to the NTSB.

I was wondering if maybe he had a heart attack or something...as the saying goes, there aren't any old bold pilots.

I always figure these things are better than dying by degrees of cancer, or withering away in a nursing home.

Grizz

Prayers and condolences to their friends and family.

RIP to good people from what I gather. Alaska is quite unforgiving in many ways. I think about it every time I get in a bush plane. Flying for 30 years gives you a unique perspective

Phil,

That's a real shame. Sorry to hear this sad news. I had some moose hunters with him in the past and always enjoyed talking with both he and his wife.

Mark

Sorry to hear of this. Sounds like some good people.