Pilot Jim Tweto has tragically passed away after a plane crash. Jim was known for appearing on Discovery Channel’s Flying Wild Alaska and starred on the show from 2011-2012. Many Discovery stars have paid tribute to the pilot who lost his life at the age of 68.
The late Discovery Channel star was reported dead on Friday, June 16, 2023. He sadly passed away in a plane crash in Western Alaska which also took the life of a passenger from Idaho, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Who was Jim Tweto?
Anchorage Daily News describes Jim Tweto as “a Unalakleet bush pilot and rural aviation figure.”
The pilot rose to fame on the Discovery Channel show Flying Wild Alaska which first aired in 2011.
Flying Wild Alaska ran until 2012 and was centered around Jim and his family.
The Discovery show saw the Tweto family operating their airline, Era Alaska.
Many times, Jim battled the unforgiving Alaska weather in order to help out the isolated inhabitants of the rural area.
Jim was born in Kansas but later moved to Unalakleet to build fishing boats. He later opted for a career change and became a professional pilot, writes Discovery.
His Discovery bio reads: “Jim is respected across the state as one of the best small plane pilots, and has logged over 30,000 hours behind the yoke of an aircraft.”
Jim Tweto and a guide crashed in his 180 today.
— ᒪᑰᓯ (@MarkSpringer) June 17, 2023
RIP.
Pilot sadly passed away
On Friday, June 16, Anchorage Daily News reported that “Alaska State Troopers received notice of an SOS activation at 11:48 am.”
They later received a report that “a Cessna 180 had crashed 35 miles northeast of Shaktoolik.”
The Alaska State Troopers report continued: “The Cessna 180 aircraft was witnessed taking off but not climbing and then crashing.”
Jim was identified in the crash, as well as 45-year-old passenger Shane Reynolds. The report reads: “Tentative identification of the deceased is Pilot Jim Tweto, age 68 of Unalakleet, Alaska, and passenger Shane Reynolds, age 45 of Orofino, Idaho.”
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it is investigating the crash.
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Tributes pour out for Jim
As the world learns of Jim’s untimely passing, many are paying tribute to the late pilot on social media.
Discovery star Todd Hoffman sent his condolences to Jim’s daughter, Ariel Tweto, on Instagram.
Ariel shared texts between herself and her dad, and photos of the two of them, as well as a post on her Instagram feed on June 16.
She wrote: “Holding onto him forever. I never for a second doubted he’d drop me. I trusted him and felt safer with him than any other being out there. Anywhere.”
Former host of Gold Rush: The Dirt, Christo Doyle, tweeted: “I am devastated to hear the news of Jim Tweto’s passing. In my short time working on Flying Wild Alaska with the Twetos, Jim made a huge impression on me. Salt of the Earth guy that loved his family, flying and Alaska. He died doing what he loved. RIP, Jim.”
A fan wrote: “Horrible news. Anyone who watched Flying Wild Alaska on Discovery knows what an awesome guy Jim Tweto was (and that goes for his family, too). My condolences to the Tweto family and friends of Jim.”
Another said that Jim carried out his work with “a sense of duty,” tweeting: “Ages ago I worked on Flying Wild Alaska & spent a little time with the Tweto family. The life of a rural pilot in Alaska is always not an easy one but they delivered supplies, helped out S&R, and transported teachers & sled dogs with a sense of humor and a sense of duty. RIP Jim.”
RIP Jim Tweto, our thoughts are with his family.
