On July 20, 2024, 50-year-old Tanya Hutchins boarded a 1948 silver Beechcraft Bonanza A35 in Juneau, Alaska, with partner Hans Munich and pilot Samuel Sam Wright for a roughly one-hour flight to their hometown of Yakutat. The U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center mounted an extensive search using helicopters, planes and boats, but fog, rain, heavy cloud cover and gusty winds hampered efforts and the official search was suspended after nearly three days with no sign of the aircraft.

Fellow pilots and members of the Southeast Alaska aviation community organized a private search that continued for weeks. Wreckage from the Beechcraft Bonanza was eventually found on the eastern side of East Crillon Mountain, confirming the loss of the aircraft and its three occupants. The crash underlines the Alaskan wilderness hazards and the close impact on a tight-knit aviation community.

If anyone knew Tanya Hutchins or has information about the flight or its last known route, please share what is known.