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Flying Wild Alaska pilot Jim Tweto recently passed away at the age of 68, following a plane crash on June 16, 2023, near Shaktoolik. A report by the Alaska State Troopers revealed that a hunting and fishing guide from Idaho named Shane Reynolds was also killed in the crash. The report stated that the plane crashed after it took off but failed to climb to altitude.
Troopers received SOS activation at 11:48 am alongside the report of a Cessna 180 crashing 35 miles northeast of Shaktoolik. The causes behind the crash are currently being investigated.
Jim Tweto's daughter Ariel announced the news of his demise as she paid tribute to him on Instagram. She also expressed her gratitude towards everyone for their love and support during this tough time.
"I didn't think anything could hurt this bad. And I don't know why I'm writing this but the news is out so I figured you hear it from me. And I'd take any other type of pain if he could just land today. My dad and a wonderful hunting guide and friend of our family passed away this afternoon in his 180. He died doing what he truly loved and is now with uncle Ron up there soaring," she wrote.
Ariel also added a link to a GoFundMe page to collect funds for Jim's memorial. The page aims to collect $80,000 and has already received $66,085 in donations at the time of this writing.
Flying Wild Alaska star Jim Tweto was also the co-owner of Era Alaska
Jim Tweto became popular after appearing in the documentary series, Flying Wild Alaska. Apart from his appearances in the title, Tweto was also known as the co-owner of Hageland Aviation Services and Era Alaska. The show aired from January 14, 2011, to July 20, 2012, on Discovery Channel and it featured the everyday life of the Tweto family while they operated Era Alaska.
Born on November 26, 1954, Jim was raised in Silver Bay, Minnesota. He later moved to Alaska and developed an interest in hockey.
His bio on the Discovery Channel website states that he used to split his time between college classes, hockey practice, and flying. He later acquired his pilot's license and moved to Unalakleet in 1980, where he began to build fishing boats. Jim then started a company called Gussiko Ventures and the boats were used by the locals for fishing.
Jim started flying for a small airline in Unalakleet in 1984, and his wife Ferno's father was the owner of the company. He then launched his own company called Era Alaska and when it became successful, he collaborated with Mike Hageland, leading to the launch of Hageland Aviation in 1990.
Jim also met with an accident while flying in 2007, and he suffered from a broken neck. However, he recovered in a few months and returned to work.
Netizens pay tribute to Jim Tweto on Twitter
Jim Tweto was known for being a flawless pilot and for his appearances on Flying Wild Alaska. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise.
Jim is survived by his wife Ferno Tweto and his daughters Ayla, Elaine, and Ariel.
