News Release

Helicopter Accident in the Alaska Range, No Injuries

Date: February 21, 2020
Contact: G.W. Hitchcock, 907-683-9583

At approximately 3:20 pm on Thursday, February 20, personnel from Denali National Park and Preserve (Denali) received notification of a helicopter accident on the Ruth Glacier via an emergency transponder. At approximately 3:00 pm a helicopter took off from a Mountain House, LLC property with two passengers and one pilot. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff on a landing strip. The emergency transmission was activated by staff who witnessed the incident. The request was rescinded after staff confirmed there were no injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into the incident. Request for additional information regarding the incident should be directed to the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge (IIC), Clint Johnson, at 907-782-4842.

There was no significant damage to natural resources reported. Park staff intend to visit the site in the future to determine what efforts will be needed to remediate the area.
The Ruth Glacier is a popular spot along the Alaska Range, due to the presence of air-taxi landing areas and its proximity to many prominent climbing peaks.