Two Greenville families traveling together on vacation perished Sunday when their plane crashed after takeoff in Soldotna, Alaska, killing all nine family members along with their pilot.
While Soldotna Police Chief Peter Mlynarik told Patch Alaska authorities have yet to positively identify the South Carolina victims and release their names, S.C. House majority Bruce Bannister of Greenville said five of them were his neighbors.
According to a Greenville News report, Bannister identified them as Melet and Kimberly Antonakos, and their three children — 16-year-old Olivia, 14-year-old Mills and 11-year-old Anastacia.
That report was confirmed by an Associated Press dispatch quoting the father of Kimberly Antonakos, who said his daughter and her family skipped their usual Myrtle Beach vacation to spend 10 days in Alaska instead.
In addition to the Antonakos family, Greenville Dr. Chris McManus, his wife, Stacey, and their two children — Connor and Meghan — also died in the crash, law enforcement sources and family friends told The State newspaper.
"I just can’t believe it," Bannister told the News. "They were on the plane, on a family vacation, and they are not coming back.”
McManus family friend, Marshall Johnson, said the family was active members of Christ Church Episcopal and wonderful people who made him and his family feel welcomed when they moved into the neighborhood.
"They did a lot of things as a family, outdoor activities and traveling" Johnson told The State. "They enjoyed being together."
Dr. McManus, a board-certified interventional radiologist had worked with Greenville Radiology, which is part of Greenville Health System, since June 1999, according to GHS. He was past president of the state chapter of the American College of Radiology, a leader in the medical community, and an officer of the GHS Medical Staff, GHS said.
GHS released a statement on the passing of Dr. McManus, saying, “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of Dr. Chris McManus and his family,” said C. David Williams III, MD, chair of the Department of Radiology for the Greenville Health System. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Chris for nearly 15 years, and he has been a wonderful asset to the medical community. He was an extraordinary physician but also an extraordinary human being who was known to be both compassionate and conscientious. Chris was one of our lead interventional radiologists, who brought a number of new and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools to the community."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which took place Sunday morning at the Soldotna airport about 75 miles southwest of Anchorage. The de Havilland DHC3 Otter is believed to have crashed after departure, but an official cause will have to await an official NTSB ruling.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Otter was operated by Rediske Air, based in Nikiski, Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. The pilot of the downed plane was identified as Nikiski-based Walter “Willie” Rediske, company spokesman Andy Harcombe said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.