Death of Alaska man who flew light plane into two buildings 'was suicide'

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/01/alaska-anchorage-plane-two-buildings-suicide

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The death of a man whose plane clipped one building before smashing into another in the heart of downtown Anchorage was a suicide, a spokeswoman for his family said on Friday.

There was no reason to think that Doug Demarest was trying to harm anyone but himself, Jahna Lindemuth said.

Lindemuth is a managing partner at the law firm which employs Demarest’s wife, Katherine Demarest. Lindemuth declined to say how the family knew it was a suicide and asked that the family’s privacy be respected.

Clint Johnson, the Alaska region chief for the National Transportation Safety Board, did not immediately return a call.

Demarest, 42, was flying a plane owned by the Civil Air Patrol Tuesday when he clipped the building that houses the law firm, Dorsey & Whitney, and crashed into an unoccupied commercial building. He died at the scene. No one else was hurt.

The crash occurred in the morning, before most businesses opened for the day and in a part of the city surrounded by offices, hotels and restaurants.

Authorities have said Demarest, who joined the Civil Air Patrol five years ago, was not authorized to fly the aircraft but released few other details.

The FBI released a statement on Wednesday noting that agency policy prevents it from commenting on an active investigation, including “confirming or denying reports surrounding this case other than to reiterate there is no indication this was a terrorist act”.