I had heard the plane fall. It made no sense. It was clear that it had just fallen here, but it was very old and obviously hadn’t flown in decades. Looking at it sent a shiver down my spine. 
- ― Alan Wake
The Plane Crash Site is a location appearing in Episode Two: Taken of Alan Wake. As the name implies, it is the crash site of a plane, more specifically, a Gosling A550 twin-prop seaplane, and it is located in the Elderwood National Park, near the Mill.
Layout[]
The wreckage of the Gosling A550 is divided in three main parts: the cockpit, the fuselage, and the tail, each a few meters apart from each other. Although at first the two wings are still attached to the fuselage, the right one comes off when Alan Wake approaches the wreckage. In addition, since the fuselage is resting on a boulder, it will tip forward if one were to enter. The boulder and a pile of rocks below the right wing are marked with light-sensitive paint, which points towards a nearby hidden chest.
History[]
Newspaper article from the Bright Falls Record, written by Cynthia Weaver
In 1970, two weeks after concluding their separate field studies, Doctor C.D. Ward, Deputy Chief Seismologist from the University of Marple, and Professor Richard Hallorann of the Randi College of Preternatural Research, decided to travel to Bright Falls, Washington to reveal "incredible and shocking information" regarding the recent seismic activity on Cauldron Lake that sank Diver's Isle that would "change [...] perception of reality". Joined by Hallorann's assistant, Mary Derleth, the two men flew to Bright Falls, with their plane scheduled to land on the Watery Airport. However, due to extremely poor weather conditions, the plane crashed on the Elderwood National Park before it could reach its destination. The crash was witnessed by Bright Falls resident Carol Troup. All passengers - Hallorann, Ward, Derleth and two crew members - died on the accident. In addition, all of the academic's dossiers and field evidence were seemingly lost. Due to the treacherous terrain and severe weather conditions in the area, recovery efforts were futile and the wreckage was left in the woods. The then mayor Bright Falls, Milford, called the crash "the most tragic event of the county’s post-earthquake history."[1]
Some time after the crash, Cynthia Weaver left a stash of supplies for the upcoming war between light and darkness on this area. In September 2010, as he was making his way through the forest back to his cabin, writer Alan Wake came across the abandoned remains of the plane. Before finding the crash site, Wake had heard the plane's crashing even though it had been there for several decades.[2]
Collectibles[]
Episode Two: Taken[]
Chests[]
| # | Image | Section | Location | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Elderwood National Park | On the upper rocks, by the wing of the crashed airplane. | Two flares. |
Trivia[]
- The plane's design is similar to that of a Sikorsky S-43.
- As mentioned above, the researchers had been conducting their field studies about the volcanic earthquake for at least two weeks. However, the crash took place around two days after said earthquake.
- The three passenger's names seem to originate from various work of horror literature:
- Doctor C.D. Ward's name is a reference to Charles Dexter Ward, the titular character in H.P Lovecraft's short novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.
- Professor Richard Hallorann's surname is a reference to Dick Hallorann, a character in Stephen King's novel The Shining.
- Mary Derleth's surname, on the other hand, comes from writer August Derleth, known for his numerous contributions to Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. This is not the only instance in which Derleth was referenced in the Remedy Connected Universe, as Alvyn Derleth, the main character of the Night Springs episode A Family Occasion, also shares his surname.
Behind the scenes[]
- Alan Wake Illuminated mentions an unused mission scenario/level concept in which Alan would have followed a burning plane to its crash site in a farm field, only to find no one aboard once he reaches it.