On December 7, 2016, 14-year-old Kaitlyn Blom, a female from the small community of Port Alsworth, Alaska, disappeared along with three others. She, her 45-year-old father, Scott Blom, and her 13-year-old brother, Zachary Blom, were passengers in a single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee airplane piloted by 25-year-old Kyle Longerbeam. The group was en route to Anchorage, a journey that should have taken about ninety minutes, for a state volleyball championship in which Kaitlyn's school, the
Tanalian School, was competing. That morning, the Bloms had initially been scheduled to take a commercial flight but changed their plans to fly with Longerbeam. The plane, which only had four seats, departed from Port Alsworth but never reached its destination.
The disappearance prompted an immediate search, which was unfortunately hampered by poor weather conditions, including fog and darkness in the Lake Clark Pass, a narrow mountain valley along the anticipated flight path. The day after the plane went missing, searchers discovered some of the occupants' personal belongings, the plane's co-pilot seat, and three of its wheels floating in the icy waters of Lake Clark, about 11 miles northeast of Port Alsworth. No further debris from the aircraft or any sign of the four individuals on board has ever been found. Authorities believe the plane crashed into the lake, which is approximately 375 feet deep in the area where the items were located, making recovery efforts extremely difficult. The loss was a devastating blow to the tight-knit community of Port Alsworth, which has a population of about 150 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the presumed crash. While the weather was acceptable for visual flight rules upon departure from Port Alsworth, there was reduced visibility and low-lying freezing fog over Lake Clark. It was noted that the pilot, Kyle Longerbeam, was not yet rated for instrument flight, which is required in such conditions. Despite the challenging weather, the NTSB's final report ultimately ruled the cause of the crash as "undetermined due to a lack of physical evidence," as the main wreckage of the aircraft was never located. Kaitlyn Blom, her father, her brother, and the pilot are all presumed to have perished in the crash. Their case remains a painful memory for the community, a tragic story of a family journey that ended in an inexplicable loss over the vast and unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.Last Seen: Dec 7, 2016
