Karen Johnston Missing Person Case

Mar 13, 2018

Mar 13, 2024

Karen

Johnston

70

41

64 inches

130 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

On a summer day in June of 1997, 41-year-old Karen Johnston, her husband Donald, and their friends, Monte and Linda Parrish, embarked on what was likely intended to be a scenic sightseeing flight over the Alaskan wilderness. The group of four departed from Merrill Field in Anchorage on June 29, 1997, aboard a distinctive yellow and white Cessna 182 airplane bearing the tail number N3186U. They had not filed an official flight plan, a detail that would later complicate search efforts. The last known location of the aircraft was over the vast and rugged terrain of Denali National Park. After that final sighting, the plane, along with Karen and her three companions, vanished without a trace. The disappearance prompted an immediate response, but the lack of a flight plan made the search area immense and challenging. The Alaskan wilderness, known for its majestic and unforgiving nature, presented significant obstacles for search and rescue teams. Investigators and volunteers scoured the expansive landscape of Denali National Park, a region of towering mountains, dense forests, and unpredictable weather, but their efforts were in vain. No wreckage from the Cessna 182 was ever discovered, and no communications were received from the aircraft after its last sighting. The complete absence of any sign of the plane or its occupants has left a painful void for the families of the missing. The years have turned into decades, yet the fate of Karen Johnston, her husband, and their friends remains one of Alaska's enduring aviation mysteries. The Alaska State Troopers have kept the case open, but without any new leads or discoveries, it has grown cold. The official presumption is that the plane crashed somewhere within the vast wilderness, but without wreckage, the exact circumstances of the tragedy cannot be determined. The case serves as a somber reminder of the power of nature and the inherent risks of aviation in such a wild and remote environment. The families of Karen Johnston, Donald Johnston, Linda Parrish, and Monte Parrish have been left to grapple with the profound uncertainty and the unresolved loss of their loved ones who disappeared into the Alaskan sky that day.

Jun 29, 1997

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

No

32627

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

970043062

1997-06-30

Alaska State Troopers

10508

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

07/07/2026