Archive image: An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron flies over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, while conducting a training operation Oct. 2, 2024.
Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.
Story by Alejandro Peña, Alaska National Guard
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — An Alaska Air National Guard (AKANG) 176th Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter aircrew conducted the rescue of a pilot from a plane crash approximately 115 nautical miles northeast of Anchorage. September 10, 2025.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) opened a mission in response to a registered 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal and subsequent aircraft crash confirmation.
The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission and dispatched a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter aircrew with 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angels on board from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The AKRCC also requested support from the Alaska State Troopers. The troopers were first on scene and immediately began assessing the aircraft crash site, rendering medical aid to occupant, and relaying information to the inbound Guardsmen.
The HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter aircrew arrived at the plane crash site located near the confluence of the Tyone and Big Susitna Rivers. After landing in a nearby riverbed, Guardian Angel PJs continued to render medical aid and loaded the downed civilian pilot onto the HH-60G Pave Hawk. The survivor was then transported and released to Providence Alaska Medical Center.
According to AKRCC personnel, the aircraft owner properly registered the ELT which facilitated an expedient rescue response following the plane crash.
ELT registration provides the AKRCC with the aircraft owner’s emergency point-of-contact information that can be used to rule out a false alert or confirm a real emergency.
In the event of a real emergency, registered ELTs can lead to timely rescues by facilitating direct contact between rescue personnel and the pilot. Timely responses are vital when travelling over Alaska’s vast and rugged terrain and medical attention is needed.
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