JUNEAU, Alaska — Two bodies believed to be those of a husband and wife aboard a small plane that crashed near Juneau were found Monday, after a joint search by the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska State Troopers.
According to troopers, 77-year-old pilot Charles Luck and his wife, 61-year-old Liping Tang-Luck, were flying from Hoonah to Juneau Sunday night on a Cessna 182 that never arrived in Juneau. The Coast Guard requested troopers’ assistance in searching for the plane at about 11:30 p.m., with a Coast Guard helicopter searching near Juneau until weather deteriorated.
A debris field was located Monday over a wide area near the Eaglecrest ski area on Douglas Island, just west of Juneau. Weather limited search efforts to ground searchers, including troopers and members of Juneau Mountain Rescue, who found bodies believed to be Luck and his wife at about noon Monday. Poor weather and steep terrain, including a 1,800-foot elevation gain and 3.5-mile hike from the staging area at Eaglecrest lodge, have prevented recovery of the bodies.
