A small aircraft went down into shallow waters near a secluded Alaskan coastal community on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals aboard, authorities confirmed.
The single-engine Piper PA-24-260 was en route to Seldovia's airport after departing from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage when it crashed around 1:18 p.m., according to a statement from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Seldovia is situated approximately 136 miles southwest of Anchorage.
The statement indicated, "Alaska State Troopers were notified that a small plane had crashed in the Seldovia Slough."
Recovery Efforts Underway
A helicopter unit from Anchorage was dispatched to the crash site, while other state troopers traveled by boat from Anchor Point to assist. Following the impact, the plane was entirely submerged in approximately 15 feet of water within the Seldovia Slough, close to the shoreline, explained Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board's chief for the Alaska region.
Responding troopers faced a delay, needing to wait for the tide to recede before they could access the submerged aircraft. Once the water level dropped, around 6:30 p.m., troopers successfully recovered the remains of the four adult victims from within the plane.
The victims' bodies are slated for transport to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsies. Their identities will be publicly released once their next of kin have been formally notified, as stated by the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Investigation Initiated Amidst Recent Aviation Incidents
The precise cause of the crash remains unknown at this time. The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation into the incident.
This recent tragedy follows another fatal aviation accident last week, involving a plane that crashed at a remote military installation in western Alaska, claiming the lives of all eight people on board.
In that previous event, the aircraft, a Cessna, was attempting its second landing approach amid dense fog, with its pilots reportedly struggling to discern the gravel airstrip, officials reported. The Cessna's two pilots were operating solely on instrument guidance when it crashed. Regulations mandated that the pilots abandon their initial landing attempt due to poor visibility, and the subsequent crash occurred during their second try, approximately one-third of a mile short of the runway.
