Vanished Over the Ice: The Unsolved Disappearance of Alan Foster in Alaska's Skies

A Veteran Aviator’s Final Flight

On September 9, 2013, Alan Gabriel Foster, a seasoned pilot with over 9,000 flight hours, embarked on the concluding leg of a transcontinental journey. Having acquired a 1966 Piper PA-32-260 aircraft in Atlanta, Georgia, he was navigating back to his home in Anchorage, Alaska. After refueling in Yakutat, a remote coastal town, Foster departed around 3:30 p.m., maintaining communication with Juneau Flight Service and indicating a potential stop in Cordova if weather conditions deteriorated. Approximately 18 minutes post-departure, radar detected the aircraft descending to about 1,100 feet near the Malaspina Glacier, 42 miles west of Yakutat. This was the last known trace of Foster and his plane.  

An Intensive Yet Fruitless Search

The disappearance prompted a comprehensive search operation involving the Alaska Air National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, and Alaska State Troopers. Search efforts were concentrated around the Malaspina Glacier, the last known location of the aircraft. However, the absence of an active Emergency Locator Transmitter significantly impeded the search, expanding the potential search area by hundreds of square miles. Adverse weather conditions, including rain, 40-knot winds, low visibility, and a ceiling of approximately 300 feet, further hampered aerial reconnaissance. Despite multiple sorties by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, no evidence of the plane or Foster was discovered. ...Read More

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