The US Coast Guard said that a sightseeing plane carrying six people has crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska and that recovery efforts are ongoing.
Officials have yet to determine the six victims’ identities but said that there were no survivors following the tragic crash that occurred at around 11:20 a.m. near Misty Fjords National Monument, Ketchikan.
Coast Guard crews located the wreckage at around 2:40 p.m. and sent rescuers down to the ridgeline to confirm that there were no survivors.
The Alaska State Troopers and Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad members are assisting in the recovery mission.
“Our hearts are shattered at the loss of six people today. We are thinking of and grieving with the families of the five passengers and our dear friend and pilot aboard the aircraft,” the doomed plane’s owner Southeast Aviation LLC. said.
“We are cooperating with the first responders and agencies involved, including the US Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board, and Alaska State Troopers.”
