Alaska midair collision kills five

By Carol Kennedy

Published on April 27, 2006

David Beauregard, 45, and his three children, Ryan, 16, Conner, 13, and Remi, 9, were killed when their Cessna 1708 collided with the 172 aircraft which was being flown by William Smoke, 55. There were no survivors.

The Beauregard's plane left Birchwood Airport at around noon heading for Talkeetna. Smoke's plane was returning to Birchwood Airport for landing when the two aircraft collided. According to witnesses, Smoke's plane crashed into the underbelly of the Cessna. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board said it appears that Smoke saw the other aircraft at the last minute and tried to raise his altitude. Both aircraft were less than 1000 feet above the ground when the crash occurred. They were flying in an uncontrolled field, so neither plane transmitted distress calls.

The two men were considered accomplished aviators. Beauregard was a pilot for the Army and also the Coast Guard. He retired in 1966 and held ratings for all manner of aircraft, including gliders, helicopters, and single and multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft. He was also a flight instructor. Beauregard had logged 11,500 hours of military and airline flight time

William Smoke, 55, of Chugiak, was a pilot for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was also a flight instructor.

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