Most of the pilots in the Anchorage area will recognize this shot. This is the view from the toe of the Knik glacier looking South. 20 Mile drainage is at 12 o’clock and White-Out is at the 2 o’clock position. The Knik gets a lot of traffic, because it is Anchorage’s playground. It is a huge drainage and it’s relatively airplane friendly. There are hundreds of places to land and it’s absolutely beautiful to boot. I would guess that there has been more airplanes bent in the Knik drainage and it’s tributaries than anywhere else in the world. I’m not talking so much about catastrophic crashes, but rather “landing mishaps”. If you’ve never been up “The Knik” you need to go on a little airplane ride with me and check it out, it’s your backyard.
Here is what happens after metal is bent.