Officials said the University’s future plans for DAA-organized trips will not halt in light of the plane that crashed during a Duke Alumni Association-sponsored trip in Alaska.
The plane crashed during an optional flight expedition Tuesday, June 4 that was offered to participants through a Duke Alumni Travel excursion entitled “Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness”—co-sponsored by National Geographic, Linblad Expeditions and Duke Alumni Association. The Allen family, comprised of the Reverend Frank Allen ’81, his wife Amy ’81, and their sons, Will ’10, Rob ’13, and current sophomore Ben, all suffered injuries in the plane crash and were evacuated by the U.S. Coastal Guard. Ben underwent surgery on his back.
Although the trip was offered in coordination with the DAA, all passengers did not have ties to the University. One passenger who is unaffiliated with the University, Thomas L. Rising of Santa Fe, New Mexico, perished in the accident.
Sterly Wilder, associate vice president of Alumni Affairs, did not fault the trip’s contractors for the crash and, instead, praised their ability to recover from the incident.
“We don't have all the facts yet, but accidents are extremely rare,” Wilder wrote in an email Friday. “We always ensure that the travel operators we work with have an excellent emergency plan, and in this case, Lindblad Excursions did everything we would hope after the accident.”
Thomas Metzloff, professor of law and a faculty leader on the trip, noted the quick response of the Coast Guard and volunteers at the scene of the crash.
“Alaska has probably the best search and rescue teams in the country and they demonstrated their skill that day,” Metzloff wrote in an email Wednesday.
The terrain at the site of the crash was very rugged and difficult, he added. The crash would be subject to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation, customary for all commercial airplanes a report will likely be released in the weeks following the crash, Metzloff said.
The pilot said he had experienced both fog and rain immediately prior to the crash in an interview conducted by NTSB’s investigator, Brice Banning, reported in Alaska’s Anchorage Daily News. The investigation is still open and the weather has not yet been listed as the cause of the incident.
Because the crash came as such a shock to both University administrators and trip participants, Metzloff said that there was no protocol to follow. Travelers were told by the ship’s captain not to “speculate” or “assume” and had to wait for the results of the rescue forces.
Sophomore Eddie Simon, a fellow member of a cappella group Pitchforks with Ben Allen, noted the suddenness of the tragedy and expressed relief at the family’s recovery.
“Ben is one of the nicest guys I know,” Simon said. “He is a really funny, caring person.”
Ben Allen was could not be reached for comment.
Despite the shock, students and alumni alike have come together in the wake of the event with an outpouring of support, Wilder said.
“The comments from fellow alumni have been heartfelt concern for the Allen family and the family of the man who lost his life in the accident,” Wilder said. “Everyone is grateful for [the Allen’s] safety.
Metzloff said the “Duke connection,” especially, brought the community at the site of the crash and beyond together.
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