Missing in Alaska Bonus: A Day on the North Slope
May 28, 2021
A pilot’s firsthand account of an engine failure and forced landing on Alaska’s frozen North Slope. Alone beside a wrecked Cessna, he crosses treacherous ice in brutal cold, confronting frostbite, exhaustion, mirages, and memories of pilots lost in the Arctic before finally spotting a distant oil camp.
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Don Johns Admits His Engine Mistake
- Don Johns let the engine idle too long, allowing oil to clog the cooler and causing the propeller to overspeed.
- He admitted that the crash resulted from his own Arctic operating mistake, not an inexplicable mechanical failure.
The Engine Explodes Over A Frozen River
- After the engine exploded over a frozen river, Don Johns landed on rocks and ice, escaped smoke, and found part of the crankcase lodged in the aircraft.
- The plane survived only as wreckage, while Don walked away with minor damage to himself.
Arctic Experience Does Not Remove Fear
- After crashing near an isolated North Slope camp, Don Johns faced three choices: remain, burn the aircraft, or walk through lethal cold.
- His earlier crash had nearly cost him a foot, yet experience still left him vulnerable to Arctic decisions.
