Lance Brabham Missing Person Case

Jun 26, 2018

Apr 24, 2024

Lance

Brabham

60

42

74 inches

245 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On the evening of December 3, 2007, a 42-year-old pilot named Lance E. Brabham was at the controls of a LifeGuard Alaska medical helicopter, embarking on a critical flight from Cordova to Anchorage. The flight, a journey of about 150 miles that typically took 90 minutes, was transporting a patient, 60-year-old Gaye McDowell. Also on board the Eurocopter BK 117 were 47-year-old flight nurse John Stumpff and 24-year-old paramedic Cameron Carter. The helicopter was reported missing that Monday evening after the crew did not make their scheduled 10-minute position updates while flying over the challenging terrain of Prince William Sound near Whittier, Alaska. The last known contact from the crew was a satellite phone call at 5:18 p.m., which was not a distress call. The disappearance prompted an immediate and extensive search effort coordinated by the Alaska Air National Guard's Rescue Coordination Center. The initial search was hampered by severe weather conditions, including snow, a low cloud ceiling, and wind gusts up to 60 mph, which prevented aircraft from joining the search right away. A Coast Guard cutter and volunteer fishing boats began combing the waters of Prince William Sound near the helicopter's last known position. Days later, on December 8th, debris from the missing helicopter, including its left sliding door, was discovered in Passage Canal, across from the Whittier Ferry Terminal. The body of flight nurse John Stumpff was also recovered from the water near the wreckage. Despite a grueling seven-day search involving the Coast Guard, Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and civilian volunteers, no other survivors were found. The active search for Lance Brabham, Cameron Carter, and Gaye McDowell was officially terminated on December 10, 2007. A later investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the helicopter likely crashed into the ocean after the pilot encountered low ceilings and snow squalls, losing sight of the shore and the water. The report noted it was the pilot's first winter season flying in Alaska and his first time flying that particular route from Cordova, and he had expressed concerns about the nighttime flight over water. The case remains a sorrowful chapter in Alaska's aviation history, a sudden tragedy that claimed four lives in the unforgiving wilderness. The disappearance of Lance Brabham, alongside his colleagues and their patient, serves as a solemn reminder of the risks undertaken by emergency medical flight crews.

Dec 03, 2007

Whittier

Alaska

Valdez–Cordova Census Area

No

38657

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

070101275

2007-12-03

Alaska State Troopers

10402

Brown

Blue

Blue

07/22/2026