Dena'ina flight with team, coaches aboard forced to emergency land in King Salmon on damaged landing gear.
Wednesday 6:45 p.m.: On their way to Anchorage for the 2A state volleyball tournament, the Koliganek Huskies were forced into an emergency landing in King Salmon Wednesday afternoon.
KDLG News spoke with coaching staff Wednesday evening, but was unable to reach Dena'ina Air Taxi after hours.
According to those onboard the flight, while taking off the plane hit a "berm" or bump on the Koliganek airstrip, damaging the back left wheel. An indicator light alerted the pilot to the damage, and the plane made a low pass over Igiugig so ground crews could inspect the gear as the plane passed overhead. After the damage was confirmed, the plane flew immediately to King Salmon, where emergency crash rescue crews were on stand by.
"We were very nervous," one coach told KDLG News.
On board were two coaches, one parent, and six of the seven high school girls representing their school at the 2A state volleyball tournament.
The landing, the coach said, turned out to be "very smooth." She said the pilot landed "perfect" on both functional tires, and about "ten seconds" passed before they felt the plane sit back on the damaged tire.
As of Wednesday evening, the team was stranded at the airport terminal in King Salmon, waiting on poor weather and another plane to chariot them to the tournament. They hoped to arrive Wednesday night, to allow the team rest ahead of Thursday's round one match up against Unalaska.