From the CNN:
Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has died in a plane crash near Dillingham, Alaska, a source familiar with ongoing rescue efforts confirms to CNN.
The private plane carrying Stevens and a former head of NASA crashed Monday night in a rugged stretch of Alaska. The crash left at least five people dead, but at least three survivors.
Maj. Guy Hayes, a spokesman for the Alaska Air National Guard, said rescue crews were working to get at least three injured people away from the scene. He said it's possible there may be more survivors.
As much as I did not like Ted's Stevens politics, I have to say that I am stunned and saddened by this news.
Death in Alaska by small plane accidents happen with alarming frequency, and in some ways it is almost the MOST Alaskan way to perish. I almost believe that if Ted could have chosen how he was to shuffle off of this mortal coil, that THIS would have been how he wanted it to happen.
Alaskans owe Uncle Ted a huge debt of gratitude for all of his tireless work on our behalf, and I for one will withhold any criticism I may have had of him on this extremely unhappy occasion.
Rest in peace Senator Stevens.
Well said Gryphen. Well said.
ReplyDeleteAny word yet on Stevens' son?
ReplyDeleteTwo TV news channels said that they thought the sons of Stevens' and O'Keefe were aboard too.
God did not want him in prison and what a beautiful way to die. He was doing what he loved. It is not up to me if he has peace or not. He is dead. Sorry for his family but they are set for life and will survive.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences to the family and friends of Ted Stevens.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with the families of the other passengers - those who lost their lives, and the survivors who are hospitalized.
Much thanks to the residents of Dillingham who were first on the crash scene.
A sad day for Alaska.
O'keefe's son survived.
ReplyDeleteORLANDO, Fla. — A former NASA spokesman says ex-NASA chief Sean O'Keefe survived the plane crash in Alaska that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens.
Glenn Mahone (Muh-HOHN') says O'Keefe's teenage son, Kevin, was also among the four survivors.
-----------------------------------
Still waiting on news of Stevens' son.
I for one will not be a concern troll regarding this tragedy; we all have to go sometime.
ReplyDeleteStevens did a lot for the struggling nascent State of Alaska and brought more wealth north to us than perhaps was prudent. With that he faced the ire of many others in the House and Senate. He was a self proclaimed "curmudgeon" but he did help Alaska to get on it's feet as the 49th State in this Nation. He was a bit more bipartisan at times than some who served with him or after him.
There was a lot of good and bad about the man but he stood up for our state and he was unapologetic in his stance.
There is no politician, alive or dead, that does not have the dirt of grift under his or her fingernails. He was elected to do a job and he did it, the same way the politicians before him and after him have done and will do. It's a dirty business and he rolled around in the muck with the best of them.
Families (even family that enables the worst of the corrupt) hurt when the meal ticket or a loving member dies. They deserve to grieve. The good news is that while many old people end up in nursing homes Mr. Stevens did not have to endure that. He also did not have to go to lock up. I can't pretend I think he matters now. I do send condolences to those he left behind. He is history and what a great ending for him. He was the face of Alaska before Sarah Palin took over that role. He scored a legendary ending when they do the movie of his life.
ReplyDeleteTed was a member of my family, I would have never voted for him does not matter...He did A LOT of good things as well as shadey and even Bad...I still think the piece of legislation he wrote with Warren Magnuson was one of the finest...I didn't care for some of the things he did but I loved the man...he was family.....
ReplyDeletePerhaps I have no standing to say this as I am not Alaskan, but I too was impressed by the man, even though I disagreed with his politics.
ReplyDeleteWhen Stevens was up on charges, I remember researching the situation and was struck by the admiration and support he received - in terms of personal support - from both sides of the Senate. Whether they were agin' him or with him, it was clear to me, separate from the ethics investigation, that he was well liked and respected among his peers.
And it certainly does seem as though he put Alaska front and center on the federal level that never would have happened otherwise. He did far more for Alaska than Murkowski Sr. and Palin, that's ferdamnsure.
MicMac
This whole scenario including Ted Steven's history of another plane crash with fatalities, along with the DOJ dropping his case and O'Keefe's history with Cheney, and the Bushs, as well as the whistleblowing engineers O'Keefe literally went after and destroyed at NASA has me going, Hmmmmmm. Then on the other hand planes are falling out of the Alaskan skies like gravity has become stronger.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences to the friends and families of all the victims of this crash.
ReplyDeleteAnd I ask, is it wrong that when I first saw the headline about the crash, for a second I hoped that SP was on the plane?
I'm sure he didn't want to perish the way his first wife did, but I'm sure he didn't want to 'fade away.'
ReplyDeleteHe was a statesman, a real Alaskan advocate. He said very little of Sarah Palin and I think that spoke volumes.
Rest in Peace sir, Alaska is a better place for what you did for it.
For those others that were killed in the crash, I wish their families health and wellness.
Bethel, AK
Rest in Peace Stevens. I'd never heard of him until these Alaska blogs (AKM, Shannyn, Gryph).
ReplyDeleteI have heard before that Alaska is where bad pilots go to earn a living as bush pilots because AK aviation regulations are lax.
Senator Stevens tried to get Bush to pardon him at the end of the Bush administration. Eric Holder, newly appointed Attorney General in the Obama administration, overturned the decision because of lack of due process in the investigation, and cleared Ted. I am really glad for that. Ted devoted his life to Alaska.
ReplyDelete(Palin has ripped the public off to the tune of millions of dollars (not counting ruining lives), and goes around being all innocent when she truly uses people.)
He was a man who lived larger than life and died the same way. It is certainly sad when anyone who is in good health dies, and I send my condolences to his family and the families of all the people who died. However, he had a very long life and, whether you agreed with him or not, he left a significant legacy that will always be closely allied with the state he loved.
ReplyDelete"God did not want him in prison" Is SP posting today?
ReplyDeleteI heard the opposite about bush pilots - that those who get their wings as bush pilots are held in high regard by commercial and Navy pilots alike, due to the varied terrain and weather conditions they deal with.
ReplyDeleteMicMac
The noxious Sarah Palin of course turned this sad event into an opportunity to self-aggrandize. Just had to say they'd had lunch in her kitchen, just had to pat herself on the back for her great contributions. I'd ask if the woman has a single genuine human emotion but the answer is obviously no.
ReplyDelete"I have heard before that Alaska is where bad pilots go to earn a living as bush pilots because AK aviation regulations are lax."
ReplyDeleteThis is so untrue it's actually funny! It's true that many pilots head for Alaska, but for experience which equals hours. More than any state, we depend on aviation to get residents and tourists around, so there is a lot of seasonal and year round flying going on.
It's the Feds who rule the Airways, not the State!
I didn't know the guy either, but the death of Stevens and the other passengers has made me a little sad too. I read that O'Keefe and his teenage son survived. I can't even imagine living through that.
ReplyDeletePrayer for all.
AKPetMom - great comment!
ReplyDeleteI will say one more thing on the subject of aviation in Alaska. My mother's family were almost all aviators here long before statehood days, to current. Some of the best pilots in the world, flying some of the toughest conditions, live and fly here. Aviators really made this state what it is - very little of what we have accomplished, built, harvested and produced would be possible without them. Bad pilots would never be attracted to this scenario! Bad pilots don't live long, esp. here.
ReplyDeleteThank you to the efforts of the rescuers and all involved - I can't imagine what they went through to get survivors out. Bless everyone here and gone.
Yes it is sad indeed...but to have a airport named after you is just invitin' karma...? Well, just sayin..?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if sarah had a little special remembrance about Curtis Jr. who dies 9 yrs ago yesterday...afterall his is Track's Bio father...!
And it was such a mysterious plane crash that maybe should be investigated further? Just sayin'!!!
The pilot was my cousin, one of the finest pilots in the state. He was an Alaskan aviator through and through, and flew this flight as a friend and as a diversion from his son in law's death a couple weeks prior at Elmendorf AF Base.
ReplyDeletePolitics, weird stuff, conspiracy theories - you can forget it.
Here's the list....
ReplyDeleteFrom CNN
The Alaska Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as
Sen. Stevens, of Anchorage, Alaska;
Theron "Terry" Smith, 62, of Eagle River, Alaska (pilot);
William "Bill" Phillips Sr.;
Dana Tindall, 48, of Anchorage, Alaska;
Corey Tindall, 16, of Anchorage, Alaska.
The bodies have been recovered.
Injured were
William "Willy" Phillips Jr., 13;
Sean O'Keefe, 54;
Kevin O'Keefe;
and Jim Morhard, Alexandria, Virginia.
Alaska's FAA office said two survivors had serious injuries and two had minor injuries and were hospitalized in Anchorage.
Long before Sarah Palin and her dysfunction appeared on the stage, I followed Alaska politics because of Ted Stevens. Often his political shenanigans had a surreal, comical quality to them (i.e. 'nobody can take this guys seriously, can they?'), but he was also oddly compelling. How can you not secretly admire a guy, who in his late 70s was still taking days long hikes into the wild with only reading material and a couple bottles of wine?
ReplyDeleteHe was a character, for sure, and a much better representative for the State of Alaska than Palin by orders of magnitude. I didn't care for his politics, but at least he wasn't a hostile, bullying theocrat. Even those who disagreed with him admired the guy. The lineup of Democratic senators willing to testify on his behalf during his trial made a powerful statement, I think.
So sorry for all of you in Alaska. Right or left, I'm sure you are all grieving at the passing of an icon and of an incredible part of Alaska's history.
Idk about Ak aviation regulations. I did hear a news report that said for this particular flight there was no flight plan filed. The man from NASA had invited and arranged the trip with the 86 year old former Senator and family members. Another pilot said the conditions were bad at the time and he would not fly. If that is true it is negligent, may be not in Ak. I would think a NASA official could keep that covered up.
ReplyDelete@ anon 7:am
ReplyDeleteA flight plan was not required for a VFR flight. If you don't know Alaska, then you don't know what you are talking about! Many VFR flight plans are not filed since there are not methods to notify the FAA, required within 1/2 hour of arrival. They were flying from a remote lodge to a remote fish camp, there are no airports involved here.
My cousin had 29,000 hours of flight time, 28 years w/ Alaska Airlines, was chief AK Airline pilot in Alaska, pioneered the flights to Russia for AK Air, and grew up flying in planes with his father who was one of Alaska's first and best bush pilots.
The weather can change here in 5 minutes, so until the NTSB finalizes their report, there are no assumptions to be made with this kind of skill behind the stick.
It is the FAA, not the State, which makes the regs. VFR flights make up most of Alaska's flying and making a plan or not has nothing to do with state regulation.
'The group had not filed a flight plan, and one was not required.'
ReplyDelete