There are two reasons for this: distances are vast (the state spans more than 2000 miles E-W and more than 1000 miles N-S), and many areas of the state (including the capital, Juneau) are not connected to the road network.

Apparently this plane was chartered to bring guests to a lodge somewhere near Dillingham, which is in the southwestern part of the state. They would have flown directly to the lodge rather than using Dillingham’s commercial airport because you can’t drive to that lodge, even from Dillingham, which is one of the areas not linked to the road network (almost all areas west of the Anchorage-Mt. Denali-Fairbanks-Deadhorse corridor are not accessible by road).

They put too much stuff on the tube, you see. x.x

Their mother, Ann was killed in a plane crash in 1978.

Ted Stevens was also on that plane.

Geeze, someone didn’t even wait for the body to cool before editing that wikipedia entry to say “the late Ted Stevens”.

As a former Alaskan I had no love for Ted Stevens.

Nor did I. I just finished writing down my totally tubular last sentiments about him on my blog. I guess I was always more upset with the people that kept him in office so damn long because the guy was such a joke.

Since so much travel is done by small plane in Alaska, there are several fatal crashes each year. Alaska’s laughable excuse for a Representative, Don Young was elected in a special election after being beaten by a dead man, Nick Beigich Sr., whose plane disappeared in southeastern Alaska. Beigich’s son Nick Beigich, Jr. defeated Ted Stevens two years ago. Also on the plane with Nick Sr. was Speaker of the House Hale Boggs, the father of Cokie Roberts. Their plane has never been found. Will Rogers and Wiley Post were also killed in a plane crash in Alaska. It’s just that kind of place.