A Day of Adventure Turns to Tragedy

On August 4, 2018, Kazimierz Jozef Miernik, a 68-year-old Polish tourist, embarked on a scenic flight over Denali National Park, Alaska, alongside fellow travelers Janusz Intek, Robert Sieniawski, Maria Teresa Libacka, and pilot Craig Layson. Departing from Talkeetna in a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver operated by K2 Aviation, the group anticipated a one-hour aerial tour over glaciers and Denali Base Camp. However, the aircraft never returned, marking the beginning of a harrowing mystery.

Crash on Thunder Mountain

The flight proceeded as planned until approximately 5:45 p.m., when the plane flew over Denali Base Camp. Shortly thereafter, its GPS tracker ceased movement. The aircraft had crashed into a crevasse on a knife-edge ridge of Thunder Mountain, nearly 11,000 feet above sea level and about 14 miles from Denali's summit. The remote location and severe weather conditions posed significant challenges for rescue operations....Read More