Flying Wild Alaska star Jim Tweto dies in plane crash, aged 68
The pilot and his family were featured on Discovery’s Flying Wild Alaska, which aired for three season between 2011 and 2012.
Jim Tweto, who starred on Discovery Channel’s Flying Wild Alaska, has died at the age of 68, his daughter has confirmed.
Tweto passed away on Friday, 16th June in a small plane crash near the coastal village of Shaktoolik, Alaska.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday to confirm the sad news, daughter Ariel wrote: "I didn't think anything could hurt this bad. And I don't know why I'm sharing this but the news is out so I figure you hear it from me. And I'd take any other type of pain if he could just land today."
She continued: "My dad and a wonderful hunting guide and friend of our family passed away this afternoon in his 180. He died doing what he truly loved and is now with Uncle Ron up there soaring. Please send love to both of them and my mom, sisters, and his wife and family."
Troopers were notified of an SOS activation around 11.48am on Friday, followed by a report that a Cessna 180 aircraft had crashed 35 miles northeast of Shaktoolik, Alaska State Troopers said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter).
“The Cessna 180 aircraft was witnessed taking off but not climbing and then crashing,” it read.
Neither he nor the other passenger, hunting and fishing guide Shane Reynolds, survived the crash.
Alaskan state troopers recovered both of the bodies. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
The pilot and his family were featured on Discovery’s Flying Wild Alaska, which aired for three seasons between 2011 and 2012.
The show follows the day-to-day operations at Era Alaska, the airline Tweto was operating at the time.
Following the tragic news of Tweto's passing, tributes have been flooding in on social media.
"I am devastated to hear the news of Jim Tweto’s passing. In my short time working on Flying Wild Alaska with the Twetos, Jim made a huge impression on me. Salt of the Earth guy that loved his family, flying and Alaska. He died doing what he loved. RIP, Jim," wrote Christo Doyle.
Tweto is survived by his wife, Ferno, and their three daughters.
