Updated at 10:06 p.m.
From the Associated Press
Authorities say all nine people aboard a sightseeing airplane died when it crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska.
Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska office, confirmed weather is preventing the recovery of bodies Thursday evening off a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan.
Attempts to recover the bodies will resume Friday.
The plane was carrying eight cruise ship passengers and a pilot. It went missing Thursday afternoon and was crashed against the granite rock face of a southeast Alaska cliff.
Original story:
A Promech float plane with nine people on board apparently went down near Ella Lake in Misty Fiords National Monument outside of Ketchikan. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Kelly Parker says the plane was reported overdue this afternoon.
“The Coast Guard received a request from Promech Air to assist in a search for an overdue aircraft,” he said. “The Coast Guard was in the process of launching a helicopter from Air Station Sitka and a vessel from Station Ketchikan, when a Temsco Helicopter crew located the aircraft on the cliffside of Ella Lake. At this time, Alaska State Troopers are coordinating the response at the site with the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad.”
Alaska State Troopers Spokeswoman Megan Peters says in a written statement that the plane was about 800 feet above the lake, against a rock face. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been advised of the accident.
There was no information at deadline on the condition of the people on board. Names of the eight passengers and one pilot were not available.
KVRS representatives were unavailable for comment, and an employee who answered the phone at Promech says the company is not commenting at this time.
Promech is a Ketchikan-based company that offers flightseeing tours and charters.
