Lansdale Catholic Grad Killed in Alaskan Plane Crash

North Penn Now Staff•

Ryan Wilk, 39, formerly of Lansdale.

A Lansdale Catholic grad has been identified by federal investigators as one of six people killed in Monday’s plane crash in Ketchikan, Alaska.

39-year-old Ryan Wilk, formerly of East Sixth Street in Lansdale, along with his wife, Elsa, were identified by authorities on Tuesday evening as the remaining two victims of the crash. Wilk was a graduate of Lansdale Catholic’s Class of 1999.

Wilk was vacationing with his wife on the Royal Princess cruise ship, which docked at the Port of Ketchikan on Monday, according to reports. Wilk and his wife were among four passengers and a pilot that boarded a float plane for an excursion over the Alaskan fjords and glaciers, but the plane collided mid-air with another sightseeing float plane that was carrying 11 people, the report states.

Reports indicate that both planes landed in the water following the collision, but the plane carrying Wilk overturned. The other plane landed upright, but began to sink. All five people aboard Wilk’s plane were killed, and one of the passengers from the second plane was also killed.

Crews from the Coast Guard, along with good Samaritans and volunteers, were able to save the remaining 10 people from the second plane before it sank, according to reports.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

The incident marks the second time this year that a person with ties to Lansdale Catholic died in a plane crash in Alaska. In January, Alaskan authorities announced that 63-year-old Patrick Coyle—an honorary member of the Class of 1973—was presumed dead after his medevac plane crashed while flying from Anchorage to Kake, Alaska.

Years Since Graduation

Following his graduation from Lansdale Catholic, Wilk moved to Florida, where he worked for a period at Disney World. He returned to the North Penn area for a few years in the mid-2000’s, before moving back to Florida in 2005.

In the years since, Wilk reached incredible success in his field, becoming the Vice President of Delivery – Customer Service at NuData Security.

Wilk was most recently living with his wife in Vancouver, B.C., and had just purchased a home in Utah.

(Editor’s note: North Penn Now would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the Wilk family, his friends and colleagues.)