‘Flying Wild Alaska’ star Jim Tweto dies in plane crash at 68

Bush pilot Jim Tweto, best known for his starring role on Discovery Channel’s “Flying Wild Alaska” series, died in a plane crash, which also claimed the life of a hunting and fishing guide from Idaho, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The Cesna 180 went down near the coastal village of Shaktoolik, roughly 125 miles east of Nome, late Friday morning. Witnesses told authorities they saw the aircraft “taking off but not climbing and then crashing,” according to the statement from state troopers.

Troopers were notified of an SOS activation around 11:48 a.m. and responded to the crash site, where they recovered two bodies. They have since been identified as Tweto and his friend, 45-year-old Shane Reynolds.

Tweto, 68, died doing what he loved, his daughter Ariel said in an emotional Instagram post. She also called Reynolds “a wonderful hunting guide and friend of our family.”

“I didn’t think anything could hurt this bad,” she added.

“Flying Wild Alaska” — which aired for three seasons from January 2011 to July 2012 — featured Tweto, his wife and their three daughters, who together operated a small regional airline serving remote communities called Era Alaska, which has since been renamed Ravn Air Group. He also ran Northwest Fishing Expeditions, taking clients through Alaska and across the Pacific Northwest.

Born in Kansas, Tweto grew up in Minnesota and eventually moved to Alaska to play hockey for the University of Alaska Anchorage, according to the Anchorage Daily News. He decided to make the move permanent after meeting his wife, Ferno, in Unalakleet.

With News Wire Services