White/Caucasian male Stephen H. Hager, 59, died on September 15, 2014, near Bulchitna Lake south of Skwentna, Alaska. According to trooper dispatch reports summarized by local news, he was outside his family's remote cabin when a firearm discharged inside the residence, the round striking him fatally. The Alaska State Troopers were notified around midday and opened an investigation into the circumstances at the scene.
Hager, an Eagle River resident, was widely known to friends and colleagues as “Steve.”
Public remembrances record that the 59-year-old's death occurred at Bulchitna Lake and that a memorial service was held the following week in Chugiak, reflecting the tight bonds of his Eagle River and aviation communities. Obituary and memorial listings identify him by name and age, confirm the date and place of death, and describe the gathering of family and friends to honor him.
Within aviation circles, tributes noted that the 59-year-old was a longtime Alaska Airlines captain who had worked for the carrier for nearly 24 years and served on the Air Line Pilots Association's Central Air Safety Committee. Colleagues characterized the incident as a tragic hunting-related accident at the family cabin on Bulchitna Lake, underscoring how quickly a routine day in the bush can turn irreversible.
Contemporaneous reporting and memorial compilations described the shooting as accidental, and there is no indication in the public record of any arrests or of troopers seeking suspects in connection with the death of the 59-year-old male. Listings that track gun deaths and cite the same local reporting likewise frame the case as an accidental shooting rather than a homicide, reinforcing that authorities did not announce a suspect or make an arrest.
