Two more victims of last week’s fatal plane crash in Southwest Alaska have been identified.
The charter plane owned by Security Aviation crashed near a military radar site on Cape Newenham on Aug. 20, killing all eight on board.
Joseph “Joe” Palmer and Tom Fisher worked for Calista Brice, a subsidiary of Calista Corporation that represents Alaska Native shareholders from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. The company shared their names on Friday.
Palmer was a project manager with Brice Builders, and Fisher was a mechanical program manager with Brice Services, according to the company.
“Both were valued members of our team, and their loss is deeply felt by their coworkers, friends and communities,” the company said in a statement.
Palmer’s wife, Heidi, said in a remembrance post that her late husband was a man of his word who prioritized his family and loved spending time outdoors.
“There was not a problem he did not face head on or a task he shied away from,” she wrote. “Whether it was blazing up mountains on his sled in the winter, cruising on the pontoon with his family or fishing the banks of the Copper and Klutina Rivers, he truly found peace and serenity in the awe of God’s creation.”
Palmer lived in Wasilla, according to a Facebook post by his mother Bonnie Palmer.
Fisher was also a family man who lived in Fairbanks and enjoyed traveling, fishing, boating, his wife Kris wrote. She said Fisher was also a business owner and a hockey coach who believed in giving back.
“Tom’s life was defined by family, friendship, community, and generosity,” she wrote. “He had a remarkable way of making friends wherever he went and was a friend to nearly everyone fortunate enough to cross his path.”
Earlier this week, the military identified three other victims of the crash. They were fire protection engineer Sabrina Hansen and mechanical engineer Hayden Scalis with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as Leah Borsich, a 2nd Lt. with the U.S. Air Force. Anchorage-based Yukon Fire Protection Services said another victim of the crash was their employee, Trevor McWilliams.
The flight also had two Security Aviation pilots. Alaska State Troopers and the company had not named them as of Friday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and expects a preliminary report within a month.
