'Flying Wild Alaska' Pilot Jim Tweto Dies in Accident

The bush pilot and his passenger were killed while attempting to take off in Tweto's Cessna 180.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 09:33 PM ET

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Experienced bush pilot and "Flying Wild Alaska" star Jim Tweto was killed in an aircraft accident near Shaktoolik, Alaska, on June 16. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Jim Tweto, star of "Flying Wild Alaska" and an experienced bush pilot, was killed in an aircraft accident on June 16 near Shaktoolik, Alaska.
Tweto, 68, and passenger Shane Reynolds, 45, died when their Cessna 180 failed to climb during an attempted takeoff.
Tweto was well-known for operating Era Alaska, a regional airline serving remote Alaskan communities, as featured in the Discovery channel series.

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Experienced bush pilot and “Flying Wild Alaska” star Jim Tweto was killed in an aircraft accident on June 16 near Shaktoolik, Alaska, according to authorities.

According to the Alaska State Troopers, Tweto, 68 of Unalakleet, Alaska, and passenger Shane Reynolds, age 45 of Orofino, Idaho, were attempting to take off in Tweto’s Cessna 180 around noon, but according to witnesses, the aircraft failed to climb.