The families and communities connected to Cabot Pitts, 42, of Palmer, Alaska, and Connor Helsel, 18, of Michigan, are mourning their deaths following a fatal plane crash in Alaska’s remote Wrangell Mountains.
According to Alaska State Troopers, the two men were aboard a Piper Cub that crashed shortly after taking off from a dirt airstrip near Snag Creek, in the Nabesna area, on the evening of September 17, 2026. Troopers received the crash report at about 7:51 p.m. and confirmed that both occupants died.
Cabot Pitts and Connor Helsel Remembered
Pitts, 42, was identified as the pilot, while Helsel, 18, was the passenger. Their deaths have brought grief to those who knew them in Alaska and Michigan.
The crash occurred in a remote part of the Wrangell Mountains. Alaska’s News Source reported that investigators were concentrating on the area around Snag Creek, approximately 50 miles southeast of Nabesna.
Details about what caused the aircraft to go down have not been established publicly. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified and is investigating the circumstances of the crash.
Key Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Victim | Cabot Pitts |
| Age | 42 |
| Residence | Palmer, Alaska |
| Second victim | Connor Helsel |
| Age | 18 |
| Residence | Michigan |
| Aircraft | Piper Cub |
| Crash area | Near Snag Creek, Nabesna area, Alaska |
| Date | September 17, 2026 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Cause of crash | Under investigation |
| Investigating agency | National Transportation Safety Board |
For their families and friends, the investigation cannot lessen the personal loss left behind. Pitts and Helsel are now remembered by those who knew them as two lives cut short in a tragic accident.
Funeral, memorial and other service arrangements were not available in the reports reviewed and may be announced by their families.