FROM THE BLOTTER: Pilot suffers serious injuries after flipping plane

TALKEETNA — Alaska State Troopers say a Wasilla man was seriously injured when he flipped a float plane on Hewitt Lake.

According to a trooper report, the plane crash was reported at 7:53 p.m. Saturday. The pilot, George Strother, 62, had “serious, but not life-threatening, injuries” and was flown from the scene to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

Troopers say the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified.

Troopers seek airplane thief

BIG LAKE — Vehicle theft charges are usually reserved for car thieves and the occasional boat thief. But an airplane thief?

Troopers say they believe such a person stole a Piper Cub with tail No. N2340S from the Big Lake Airport. The theft was reported at 4:35 p.m. Sunday, but could have taken place any time in the three weeks prior.

Anyone with information about this or any other crime is asked to call troopers at 745-2131 or Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 745-3333.

Be aware of suspicious person

The Point Thomson Project has issued a safety alert for the Anchorage area about a possible dangerous scam.

At about noon July 1, a female driver in Anchorage was followed to her residence by a silver minivan with “Thermax Carpet Cleaning” logos affixed to the side of the vehicle. The woman first noticed the van on Northern Lights Boulevard when the male driver spent an inordinate amount of time looking at her and her vehicle.

The driver is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 6-1 to 6-4 in height, in his 50s with an average build. He also has a white mustache and shaggy, but slicked back hair.

The woman thought she had lost the suspicious minivan while driving in traffic, but advised that shortly after arriving at her residence the man driving the minivan knocked on her door. The woman asked a male friend to answer the door and the man appeared to be startled when the door opened and it wasn’t a female. The man then stated, “I’m in training and want to offer a free demonstration.”

The woman’s male friend told the man no and he promptly left the area.

Following this incident, a call was made to the local Thermax Carpet Cleaning Co. to report the suspicious behavior. A representative from Thermax advised the company doesn’t have anyone matching this man’s description working for it, and that a few magnetic company signs had recently been stolen.

The woman called the Anchorage Police Department and found this was the second complaint received that day for a man matching this description who had followed a woman in traffic to her home.

If you believe someone is following you, the safety alert suggests the following:

• Don’t stop at your residence.

• Stay on well-lit streets.

• Enter a busy parking lot or place of business.

• Collect a detailed description of the vehicle and driver of the suspicious vehicle.

• Call local police immediately from your locked vehicle.

• Remain in your vehicle until police arrive.

• Do not confront or get out of your vehicle to talk to the person following you.

Thermax Carpet Cleaning Co. advises all signs have been removed from its trucks and vans at this time.