Searchers look for unknown plane that sent distress signal near St. Mary’s

Collection of buildings on a grassy hill
St. Mary’s, Alaska (courtesy of Walton Smith)

Alaska State Troopers are looking for an aircraft that emitted a distress signal near St. Mary’s in Southwest Alaska over the weekend.

On Sunday night, troopers received a signal from an emergency locator transmitter activated about 40 miles northwest of St. Mary’s.

Troopers said no people or signs of a wreck have been located, and no person or aircraft has been reported missing either.

A Civil Air Patrol team from Bethel responded on Sunday and searched the area from the air. They returned again on Monday and Wednesday with help from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center but have not located any signs of a plane crash.

The distress signal was still active as of Wednesday. A spokesperson for the troopers described the area where the emergency signal was activated as rolling hills with thick alder trees.

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