Pilot and 2 Young Daughters Survive the Night on Airplane Wing After Crashing Into Icy Alaska Lake

An airplane partially submerged into the ice of Tustumena Lake at the toe of a glacier, near Soldotna, Alaska, on March 24, 2025. Alaska National Guard via AP

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—A pilot and his two young daughters survived on the wing of a plane for about 12 hours after it crashed and was partially submerged in an icy Alaska lake, then were rescued after being spotted by a good Samaritan.

Terry Godes said he saw a Facebook post Sunday night calling for people to help search for the missing plane, which did not have a locator beacon. On Monday morning about a dozen pilots including Godes headed out to scour the rugged terrain. Godes headed toward Tustumena Lake near the toe of a glacier and spotted what he thought was wreckage.