ANKERAGE, Alaska — The bodies of two men, including a U.S. Air Force colonel who served as director of operations for the Alaskan Command, have been recovered after their small plane crashed into an Alaskan lake.
The plane was found Thursday about 180 feet (59 meters) deep in Crescent Lake, on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) south of Anchorage.
Volunteers from the Alaska Air National Guard and the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team used a remote vehicle to float the Piper PA-18 Super Cub and tow it to shore, Alaska Wildlife Troopers said in an online statement.
The bodies of both Col. Mark “Tyson” Sletten, 46, of Anchorage, and Paul Kondrat, 41, of Salt Lake City, were on the plane. They were sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsies.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
“The news has been devastating to all of us here at Alaskan Command and the loss of Tyson is felt throughout our community,” Lt. Gen. David Nahom said in a statement. “Our priority at this time is taking care of his family and our teammates who were close to Tyson.”
Alaskan Command, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, conducts homeland defense, civilian support and security missions.
The two men were on an instructional flight on Tuesday when the plane crashed. An Alaska Department of Public Safety helicopter and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife float plane found debris on the lake, but no signs of survivors. The repair work started on Wednesday.