Alaska Dispatch received the following press release Friday from Alaska State Troopers regarding a plane crash:
A Ketchikan pilot was killed in a float plane crash north of Ketchikan Friday morning. Josh Murdock, 38, was the sole occupant in a 1959 DeHavilland Beaver owned by Pacific Airways of Ketchikan that crashed at about 7:30 a.m. Witnesses reported the plane clipped some trees, causing the plane to lose its right wing before crashing. The plane was found on a grassy knoll off of the Tongass Highway in the Ward Cove area. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and State Medical Examiner's Office have been notified of the death. The NTSB will take over the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Contact Andrew Rubenstein at andrew(at)alaskadispatch.com.