Western Emergency Services and Alaska State Troopers responded to a plane crash Friday afternoon, Dec. 8, near the Sterling Highway and Valleyside Avenue, approximately 2 miles north of Anchor Point.

According to a Dec. 8 press release from WES, multiple units from Anchor Point and Ninilchik were dispatched to the scene.

The National Transportation Safety Board was also notified and two investigators responded to the scene, NTSB media relations public affairs officer Peter Knudson wrote in an email in response to an inquiry by Homer News.

Troopers and emergency services located the plane, a two-seat Piper Super Cub, in the trees at Mile 154.5 of the Sterling Highway, according to an AST dispatch.

One adult female passenger was extricated and transported by WES medics to South Peninsula Hospital with life-threatening injuries, WES stated in their release.

Medics also extricated the pilot, Kurt Stjean, age 52 of Homer, who was determined to be deceased upon arrival, AST reported in their dispatch. Stjean’s next of kin has been notified.

The crash also resulted in a partial highway closure on Friday, WES posted on Facebook.

The incident is currently under investigation by Alaska State Troopers and the NTSB.

Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

According to Knudson, a preliminary report will be available from the NTSB within 30 days, and will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.