facebook-pixel

Utah man and his wife among the six killed in midair collision in Alaska

(Dustin Safranek | Ketchikan Daily News via AP) Emergency response crews transport an injured passenger to an ambulance at the George Inlet Lodge docks, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Ketchikan, Alaska. The passenger was from one of two sightseeing planes reported down in George Inlet early Monday afternoon and was dropped off by a U.S. Coast Guard 45-foot response boat.

  | May 15, 2019, 2:27 p.m.
| Updated: May 16, 2019, 2:38 a.m.

A Utah man and his wife were among six people killed in Alaska, when two sightseeing planes carrying cruise ship passengers collided in midair.

Ryan Wilk, 39, and Elsa Wilk, 37, died about 8 miles from Ketchikan in the Monday crash, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Ryan Wilk is noted to be from Utah while Elsa Wilk is listed as being from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

The two appear to have lived in Vancouver but owned a house in Utah. A taekwondo company in Canada posted about the two, saying Elsa was a black belt at the sport and the couple will be missed.

Neighbors of the Wilks in South Jordan told FOX 13 that they had bought a home in the state last year.

“From what I understand, they were trying to work through some VISA situation,” neighbor Thad Weiland told the station. “I was looking forward to them living here full time.”

Ryan was the vice president of customer success at NuData Security, a division of Mastercard. He spoke to The New York Times in a story on banking last year.

Mastercard released a statement about Ryan on Tuesday: “He has been a cherished member of the team and will be deeply missed by colleagues right across Mastercard and NuData. We extend our most heartfelt sympathies to Ryan’s family and friends. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

According to The Associated Press, the larger plane, with 10 passengers and the pilot, descended from 3,300 feet and collided with a smaller plane, carrying four passengers from the same cruise ship, the Royal Princess, and the pilot.

The planes came down about a mile and a half apart.

After the crash, the 10 injured people were initially taken to a hospital in Ketchikan. Four patients with broken bones were later transferred to a hospital in Seattle.

Others who died in the crash include pilot Randy Sullivan, 46, from Ketchikan, Alaska; Simon Bodie, 56, from Tempe, New South Wales, Australia; Cassandra Webb, 62, from St. Louis; and Louis Botha, 46, from San Diego.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Tribune reporter Courtney Tanner contributed to this story.

Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune and FOX 13 are content-sharing partners.