In the waning hours of daylight on January 29, 2019, a medical transport flight carrying three crew members disappeared from radar while on approach to the small island community of Kake, Alaska. Onboard the Guardian Flight King Air 200 aircraft was 63-year-old pilot Patrick Joseph Coyle, 43-year-old flight paramedic Margaret Langston, and 30-year-old flight nurse Stacie Morse. The Juneau-based crew had departed from Anchorage and was scheduled to land in Kake to pick up a patient.
Just minutes before its expected arrival, however, the plane vanished over the icy waters of Frederick Sound, prompting a massive search and a mystery that would leave a lasting impact on Alaska's tight-knit emergency medical services community.
The United States Coast Guard, along with Alaska State Troopers, local search and rescue teams from Kake and Petersburg, and numerous good Samaritan vessels, immediately launched an extensive search of the plane's last known position. The following day, searchers discovered debris in the water approximately 22 miles west of Kake, near the southern tip of Admiralty Island. Although the debris was initially unconfirmed, it was the first indication of the tragic fate of the flight. The official search was suspended after several days, but the company, Guardian Flight, continued a private search effort. In the months that followed, recovery crews using a remote-operated vehicle located most of the plane's major components on the ocean floor, resting at a depth of about 500 feet. The bodies of Patrick Coyle, Margaret Langston, and Stacie Morse, who was pregnant, were never recovered.
The National Transportation Safety Board conducted a thorough investigation into the crash, but the exact cause remains undetermined. The investigation was hampered by several factors; though the cockpit voice recorder was salvaged from the wreckage, it was in poor condition and forensics revealed it had not recorded any audio from the accident flight. The final NTSB report noted that the aircraft entered a rapid, uncontrolled descent, falling about 2,575 feet in just 14 seconds before it disappeared from radar. The report concluded with a finding of 'a loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.' The loss of the three dedicated crew members was deeply felt across Alaska, where remote communities rely heavily on air ambulance services. Memorial services honored their sacrifice, remembering Patrick Coyle for his sense of humor and generosity, Margaret Langston for her warmth, and Stacie Morse for her passion for nursing. The tragic event serves as a somber overview of the inherent risks faced by emergency responders in the challenging Alaskan environment.Last Seen: Jan 29, 2019
