Search for crash site unsuccessful

July 13, 2007

By Hannah Guillaume/Frontiersman

WILLOW - Adam Cardwell was on his way to the bathroom Tuesday when he thought he heard something crash near his house on the outskirts of Willow.

&#8220I heard metal twisting and a three-second boom,” said Cardwell, 43. &#8220When the engine stalled out it went from loud thumping to quiet.”

The thumping sound reminded Cardwell of a helicopter and called 911, he said.

Emergency responders from Talkeetna, Sunshine, Houston, Willow, Big Lake and Air Ambulance-LifeGuard Alaska responded.

Marvin &#8220Peewee” Rankin, battalion fire chief for District 5, said responders searched for a possible helicopter down near Kashwitna Creek and Caswell along Mile 84-87 of the Parks Highway. Nearly two hours after the crash was heard by Cardwell, responders were unable to locate a crash site.

&#8220We're just in a holding pattern now,” Rankin said.

Cardwell and his wife Debbie, 48, who said she heard a long, loud bang from their bedroom window, said they saw no smoke after the crash. Debbie Cardwell believes she caught a glimpse of a white flying object in the air immediately preceding the big bang.

&#8220I hope it's not a false alarm,” she said.

She jumped on her 2003 green Polaris Sportsman ATV and rode eight miles out near the Caswell swamps, and said she couldn't find anything.

&#8220But I could feel it back there,” she said, adding that she felt drawn to the direction of the crash like a needle would point north on a compass.

Civil Air Patrol reports that no evidence of a crash has been located and no aircraft had not been reported missing.