Two injured in helicopter crash

Two men escaped life-threatening injuries after their helicopter crashed during an attempted landing Sunday morning near Arkose Ridge in Hatcher Pass.

According to Alaska State Trooper (AST) dispatch, the chopper’s pilot, 27-year old John Wiese of Palmer and a passenger were the only two occupants in the Robinson R22 helicopter. AST stated the helicopter belonged to a local business that was conducting a training flight at the time. AST, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and state park rangers from the Palmer area responded to the incident.

The Robinson R22 is a lightweight, single engine, two-seater machine weighing in at just under 900 pounds. Weather conditions were heavy overcast with a low ceiling at the time of the crash. AST reported it was ready for a full response when it received word that a second chopper, owned by the same business, responded to the scene and transported the occupants.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was notified.

— Chris Ford