Nicolas Blace, 44, of Chugiak, disappeared during a hunting trip in remote Denali National Park and Preserve after boarding a Piper PA-18 Super Cub with pilot 45-year-old Jason Tucker of Wasilla on August 9, 2023. The aircraft, bound for a small airstrip near the Dillinger River and an area known as Shellabarger Pass, never arrived and was reported overdue.

An Air National Guard flight located the wreckage the following day in the bottom of a narrow 500- to 600-foot ravine north of the West Fork of the Yentna River. The steep, loose-rock terrain and rapidly flowing water made on-the-ground recovery extremely hazardous. Imaging from a drone and aerial reconnaissance led investigators to conclude both men likely died in the crash. Technical rescue attempts were considered but postponed because conditions posed unacceptable risk to recovery teams; officials said the decision could be re-evaluated if environmental conditions allowed safer access.

Does anyone have information about Blace’s planned route, hunting partners, or the flight that could help fill gaps about what happened that day?