The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a plane crashed Tuesday near Fairbanks, Alaska.
A Douglas C-54 aircraft, carrying fuel, crashed into the Tanana River in Fairbanks, Alaska, just after taking off from Fairbanks International Airport on Tuesday morning. The crash occurred around 10 a.m. local time, as confirmed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB, which is also investigating, confirmed two individuals were on board the aircraft operated by Alaska Air Fuel. This flight was designated as a Part 91 fuel transport operation.
Following the crash, the aircraft skidded into a steep riverbank and ignited. The Alaska Department of Public Safety reported no survivors were found, issuing a statement around 2 p.m. local time.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement, “The aircraft slid into a steep hill on the bank of the river where it caught fire. No survivors have been located.”
The NTSB has dispatched investigators to the site and plans to recover the wreckage. Fairbanks International Airport has announced its cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Michaela Matherne was en route from the village of Galena to Fairbanks as she planned to catch a connecting flight to New Orleans when her small plane was diverted to check the coordinates of a crash site. She told the Associated Press (AP), “When we were in the air there was speculation that it was a cabin that caught fire, maybe a fish camp. We actually didn’t know what we were looking at until after we landed a few minutes later. We were shocked and saddened to hear that.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
