On a summer day in August 2003, 30-year-old Shima Funakoshi, a pilot for Hageland Aviation Services, and her mother, Yoshiko Funakoshi, were aboard a 406 Caravan airplane with the tail number N6591L. They departed from Barrow, Alaska, now known as Utqiagvik, for a flight to Wainwright, Alaska. This journey, however, would tragically end in their disappearance into the vast and unforgiving Arctic landscape.
The flight was reported to have crashed into Peard Bay on the Arctic Ocean, approximately 10 miles southwest of Barrow. The weather at the time included patches of fog and light rain, with temperatures in the mid-30s.
Following the report of the crash, a search and rescue operation was immediately launched by the North Slope Borough. Search teams discovered debris and an oil slick about 10 miles northeast of Wainwright, in an area of the ocean with a water depth of about 75 feet. Despite these findings, extensive searches of the area were unsuccessful in locating Shima, Yoshiko, or any significant portions of the aircraft. The search was suspended by the evening of the same day, leaving the exact cause of the crash as a matter of speculation.
The disappearance of Shima and Yoshiko Funakoshi remains an unresolved tragedy. The North Slope Borough Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers have investigated the case. Memorials have been established to honor their lives. In Anchorage, a bench known as 'Shima's View' was placed along the Coastal Trail with a plaque that reads: 'Her spirit soared up to Alaska and will keep flying very high above the clouds.' Another memorial was erected in Utqiaġvik at the approximate coordinates of the crash site. The case serves as a somber reminder of the perils of travel in Alaska's remote and challenging environment and is one of many unsolved missing persons cases in the state.Last Seen: Aug 17, 2003
