The individuals onboard the Fairchild C-123 cargo plane that crashed in
Denali National Park on Sunday, August 1 were Bill Michel, age 61of Delta
Junction, Alaska; John Eshleman, age 52 of Wasilla, Alaska and Paul
Quartly, age 66 of Wasilla, Alaska. Michel was the owner of All West
Freight, Inc. and the plane’s pilot. The identities were determined through
interviews with acquaintances, friends, and relatives familiar with the
plane and the intended flight on Sunday.
Investigators with the Office of the State Medical Examiner arrived in the
park Monday afternoon and will oversee the recovery of the remains of the
three men as part of the on-site investigation. Official identification of
the deceased will be made by the State Medical Examiner by forensic
examination. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board
and the FAA arrived at the park mid-morning, and have completed an aerial
reconnaissance and preliminary ground survey of the site. Those offices
will take over the on-scene investigation when the State Medical Examiner’s
work is completed.
Responsibility for overseeing the continued mop up of hot spots within the
one-acre area burned by the wildfire resulting from the plane crash has
been transferred from the Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers to Denali’s NPS
wildland fire fighter personnel. National Park rangers will continue to
provide security for the site until the ground investigation is completed.
The Denali Park Road is open to traffic, and the Rock Creek Trail has
reopened. The Roadside Trail, which will remain closed until the on-site
investigation has been completed. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)
that was in effect over the crash site was cancelled by mid-afternoon on
Monday.
Names of Plane Crash Victims Released
The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from Denali National Park.
