An Alaska Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter is pulled out of hangar six at Bryan Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as part of a routine training mission, March 26, 2025.
Soldiers with G Co., 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion rescued three people utilizing this aircraft, March 24, from the wreckage of a crashed PA-12 Super Cruiser that was partially submerged in glacial ice on a lake located approximately 40 miles southeast of Soldotna near Tustumena Lake.
Alaska National Guard photo by Seth LaCount.
Story by Seth LaCount, Alaska National Guard
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska. — Alaska Army National Guard (AKARNG) HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter aircrew with G Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion conducted the rescue of three people from a PA-12 Super Cruiser plane crash that was partially submerged in glacial ice on a lake located approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Soldotna near Tustumena Lake. March 24, 2025.
An HH-60M Black Hawk medevac helicopter, branded with its distinctive red cross, with AKARNG critical care flight paramedics on board, was launched from Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and the crew flew 25 minutes to the location after receiving a request from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC).
Initially, the Kenai flight service station issued an alert notification for the overdue aircraft. The U.S. Coast Guard accepted the mission and launched an HC-130J Super Hercules. Good Samaritans flew ahead of the HH-60M to search for the aircraft. The aircraft was located by a good Samaritan pilot, and the location was relayed to the AKARNG en route.
The AKARNG HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter aircrew comprised two pilots, two critical care flight paramedics and the cabin chief (hoist operator).
Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bradley Jorgensen and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mike Miller piloted the mission and coordinated with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) and U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) to get a clear picture of the area. Good Samaritans that originally located the crash site were unable to reach the plane due to ice conditions but were vital in the recovery efforts
Jorgenson, pilot in command, said they were fortunate to have beautiful weather and visibility throughout the mission with seamless collaboration with everyone involved in the effort.
“As we began to prepare, I felt called to pray that the Lord protects the people we’re about to search for, he said. “A huge thanks to the good Samaritans for finding the survivors and all they did to assist us during the mission.”
When the helicopter aircrew arrived on scene, the initial plan was to hoist the survivors from the wreckage, but it was determined that the maneuver could potentially affect the stability of the submerged aircraft. The ice was also too thin for the helicopter to land on.
With urgency, the mission was executed with the helicopter in a low hover, while crew chief Sgt. First Class Bradley Mckenzie communicated with the pilots to incrementally adjust the angle of approach to move the survivors directly off the wing of the aircraft onto the helicopter.
“En route, we try to identify any potential hazards and analyze all possible outcomes,” Jorgensen said. “We discussed the plan with everyone on board and we were all on the same page.
One unique aspect of the rescue was that there was no indication that the aircraft was located on a body of water on a map. The two-mile wide lake was not on the pilot’s mind because as glaciers recede, they leave glacial lakes behind that are not accounted for on current maps.
The survivors were transported to Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.
Critical care flight paramedics Staff Sgt. Matthew Tucker and Staff Sgt. Steven Gildersleeve provided en route care to the survivors through rewarming methods while simultaneously monitoring the conditions of all three.
The HH-60M Black Hawk aircrew landed the helicopter on a helipad located next to the facility’s emergency room, and the patients were handed off to the attending ER physician. The crew gave a statement to the Alaska State Troopers before their departure back to JBER.
“We’re very thankful that we were able to execute this successfully because It’s never a sure thing.,” Miller said. “We were extremely relieved that it worked out the way it did. We’re very thankful to be a part of it, but mostly just thankful the survivors were able to get through the night and we wish them a speedy recovery.”
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