Family of Pilot, Pastor Killed in Alaska Crash Relies on Faith For Comfort

The son of a pilot killed in a crash on Wednesday has been left heartbroken at the news, but says his faith is getting him through.

 

The National Transportation Safety Board said pilot James Poelman was killed after he collided with another single engine plane mid-air over the Big Susitna River in Alaska.

 

Poelman's son, Ben, said his father would fly passengers and cargo every day, and his safety-consciousness as a pilot has left the family confused about the crash.

 

"My dad was easily the most cautious, careful pilot I've ever seen," Ben told KTUU Channel 2 News.

 

The pilot of the other plane survived after an emergency landing.

 

"I know my dad would have been very happy that he was alive, that nobody else was injured from it," Ben said.

 

Devastated by the loss, friends and family say they're just trying to turn to God for strength, something Poleman always taught them to do.

 

"He always said you put God first, family second and everything else is third," A GoFundMe page reads. "He loved God and his family with all his heart and never stopped showing it through his amazing testimony."

 

Aside from his pilot duties, Poelman was a pastor at Frontier Baptist Church, a small church he started in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley after his career in the U.S. Air Force ended.

 

Ben said his father was fulfilling a childhood dream when he became a pilot 12 years ago.

 

"He was just a good pilot, a good pastor and a great dad," Ben said. "I know he's in heaven just looking down on us saying 'Why are you guys upset? I'm happier than you are.'"

 

Poelman's church is holding a memorial service for him on Sunday, June 17, which is Father's Day. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the costs.