Tragedy struck a remote coastal community in Alaska on Wednesday when a small airplane plunged into shallow waters, resulting in the deaths of all four occupants aboard, as confirmed by officials.
The ill-fated aircraft, identified as a Piper PA-24-260, was en route to the quaint town of Seldovia from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage. The crash occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m., according to a statement released by the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Seldovia’s modest airport lies roughly 136 miles southwest of Anchorage, providing a vital link for the community.
“Alaska State Troopers received reports of a small plane’s crash within the Seldovia Slough area,” the statement detailed.
Responding to the emergency, a helicopter crew from Anchorage was dispatched to the wreckage site, while additional troopers traveled by boat from Anchor Point to lend assistance.
Following the crash, the plane was completely submerged in about 15 feet of water in the Seldovia Slough near the shore, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief.
Troopers were forced to wait until the tide went out in order to reach the aircraft.
Once the tide level dropped at about 6:30 p.m., troopers were able to retrieve the bodies of the four adult victims from the plane.
The bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy. The victims’ names will be released once next of kin are notified, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
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It remains unclear what may have caused the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
This comes after another plane crashed last week at a remote military site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board.
That aircraft had been making its second runway approach in heavy fog, and its pilots were struggling to see the gravel airstrip, according to officials.
In that incident, the Cessna’s two pilots were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed.
Regulations required that the pilots abort their first landing attempt because of the lack of visibility, and the plane crashed on its second attempt, about one-third of a mile from the runway.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.