Divers have successfully recovered the remains of the pilot who died in Tikchik Lake just north of Dillingham. Seventy-one-year-old Newt Ball crashed into the lake on Oct. 7 when going out to pick up a hunter and a guide. The two men watched when the plane flipped over and sank when Ball was trying to land. Ball was trapped inside the plane, which rested in 40 feet of water. High winds prevented a team from Alaska Commercial Divers Inc. of Ketchikan from recovering the body until Wednesday evening. The body will be sent to the medical examiner’s office. Family and next of kin have been notified.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her atahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annehere.
