http://www.adn.com/2011/07/25/1984436/4 ... plane.html

A Cessna 185 on floats landed and sank in the rough waters of Cook Inlet near Kalgin Island late Sunday, but an Alaska state trooper in a helicopter was able to drop a raft in time to save the passengers and pilot.

All four people on board escaped with no injuries, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane hit the water east of the island some 22 miles southwest of Kenai at about 7 p.m. Sunday, the FAA reported.

The passengers and pilot are Valley residents, troopers said.

The pilot, Scott Johannes, 48, of Wasilla, told a National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the engine didn't quit but there wasn't enough power to stay airborne, said Jim LaBelle of he NTSB.

The floats were reported to have ripped off during landing, LaBelle said.

Alaska State Trooper Shane Stephenson, alone in a small helicopter on commercial fishing patrol, went to the crash site and saw the passengers and pilot all standing on the tail of the airplane. The rest of it had sunk, according to troopers.

Stephenson hovered over the crash scene and with his spare hand shoved a life raft to the stranded people, said Trooper Lt. Dane Gilmore of the Soldotna, where Stephenson is also based.

Gilmore estimated the plane was in the water a half-mile to a mile east of Kalgin Island.

After dropping the raft, Stephenson flew over the beach to find people at a fish camp and, communicating by VHS radio, got them to take a skiff out to help the downed passengers and pilot.

Later, a National Guard helicopter picked up the passengers and pilot from the fish camp and took them home to the Valley.

Besides the pilot, those on the plane were Karis Johannes, 48, of Wasilla, and Jill Warner, 56 and Douglas Warner, 54, both of Palmer, troopers said.

Reach Rosemary Shinohara at [email protected] or 257-4340.

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