Jason Tucker Missing Person Case

Aug 29, 2023

Sep 28, 2023

Jason

Tucker

47

45

74 inches

190 lbs

Uncertain

Male

On August 9, 2023, 45-year-old Jason Tucker, a male from Wasilla, Alaska, was piloting a Piper PA-18 Super Cub aircraft on a hunting-related trip in the remote southwest preserve of Denali National Park and Preserve. He was accompanied by 44-year-old Nicolas Blace of Chugiak. The plan was for Tucker to fly Blace to an airstrip near the Dillinger River and then return to pick up another hunter. However, the aircraft never arrived at its intended destination, and an alert was issued when Tucker failed to return for the second hunter. An initial search for the overdue aircraft was hampered by poor weather conditions. The following day, the Alaska Air National Guard located the wreckage of the plane at the bottom of a deep and narrow ravine, north of the West Fork of the Yentna River, in a region also known as Shellabarger Pass. The challenging and steep terrain of the ravine, estimated to be between 500 and 600 feet deep, made it impossible for the search crew to land at the crash site. Observations from the air suggested that survival of the crash was unlikely. Both Jason Tucker and Nicolas Blace are presumed to have perished in the accident. Subsequent assessments by Denali National Park mountaineering rangers and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that any recovery operation would be incredibly complex and carry a high risk for the personnel involved. The narrowness of the ravine, the instability of the loose rock on its walls, and the rapidly flowing creek below posed significant dangers. Several attempts to reach the site, including using helicopter short-haul lines and rappelling, were deemed too hazardous. Authorities even considered using a mechanical grabber attached to a long line from a helicopter, but this was also ruled out due to safety concerns. Due to these extreme and perilous conditions, officials made the difficult decision to suspend recovery efforts for both the aircraft and the victims. The investigation into the cause of the crash continues, though it is complicated by the inability to access the wreckage.

Aug 09, 2023

Denali Park

Alaska

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

No

129058

National Park Service

Denali Park

Alaska

Denali Borough

99755

PO Box 9, Alaska

9076839555

Federal

Law Enforcement

NP23266546

2023-08-10

National Park Service

Brown

Brown

Brown

partial

07/14/2026