Changes

His next assignment was at Coast Guard District Seventeen in [[Juneau]], Alaska from 1970 to 1972 as a duty Search and Rescue (SAR) officer. Steverson was the duty SAR officer on September 4, 1971 when an emergency call was received that an [[Alaska Airlines]] [[Boeing 727]] airline passenger plane was overdue at Juneau airport. This was a Saturday and the weather was foggy with drizzling rain. Visibility was less than one-quarter mile. The aircraft was en route to [[Seattle]], Washington from [[Anchorage]], Alaska with a scheduled stop in Juneau. There were 109 people on board and there were no survivors. Steverson received the initial alert message and began the coordination of the SAR effort. In a matter of hours the wreckage from the plane, with no survivors, was located on the side of a mountain about five miles from the airport. Later a full investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was equipment failure.

His next assignment was at Coast Guard District Seventeen in [[Juneau]], Alaska from 1970 to 1972 as a duty Search and Rescue (SAR) officer. Steverson was the duty SAR officer on September 4, 1971 when an emergency call was received that an [[Alaska Airlines]] [[Boeing 727]] airline passenger plane was overdue at Juneau airport. This was a Saturday and the weather was foggy with drizzling rain. Visibility was less than one-quarter mile. The aircraft was en route to [[Seattle]], Washington from [[Anchorage]], Alaska with a scheduled stop in Juneau. There were 109 people on board and there were no survivors. Steverson received the initial alert message and began the coordination of the SAR effort. In a matter of hours the wreckage from the plane, with no survivors, was located on the side of a mountain about five miles from the airport. Later a full investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was equipment failure.

Steverson was involved during the seizure of two Soviet fishing vessels, the F/V Kolevan and the F/V Lamut for illegal fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The initial attempts at seizing the Soviet vessels almost precipitated an international incident when the two vessels refused to proceed to a U. S. port, and instead sailed toward the Kamchatka Peninsula. Soviet Air Force MIG fighter planes were scrambled, as well as U.S. fighter planes from Elmendorf Air Force Base before the vessels changed course and steamed back toward Alaska, where the U.S. Attorney from Anchorage was waiting to prosecute the vessels.

Steverson was involved during the seizure of two Soviet fishing vessels, the F/V Kolevan and the F/V Lamut for illegal fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The initial attempts at seizing the Soviet vessels almost precipitated an international incident when the two vessels refused to proceed to a U. S. port, and instead sailed toward the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]. Soviet Air Force MIG fighter planes were scrambled, as well as U.S. fighter planes from Elmendorf Air Force Base before the vessels changed course and steamed back toward Alaska, where the U.S. Attorney from Anchorage was waiting to prosecute the vessels.

Taking advantage of his icebreaker experience, Steverson was also assigned as the Seventeenth District's first collateral duty Ice Operations Officer. With the increased activity around [[Point Barrow]] and on the [[North Slope]] of Alaska brought on by the discovery of the vast oil reserves, more Coast Guard icebreakers were making patrols north of the [[Bering Sea]].

Taking advantage of his icebreaker experience, Steverson was also assigned as the Seventeenth District's first collateral duty Ice Operations Officer. With the increased activity around [[Point Barrow]] and on the [[North Slope]] of Alaska brought on by the discovery of the vast oil reserves, more Coast Guard icebreakers were making patrols north of the [[Bering Sea]].