A small plane crashed into shallow waters near the remote Alaskan town of Seldovia on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals on board.
The aircraft, identified as a Piper PA-24-260, had departed from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage and was headed for Seldovia, a coastal community located approximately 136 miles southwest of Anchorage. The crash occurred around 1:18 p.m., according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Alaska State Troopers were alerted to the crash in the Seldovia Slough. Upon arrival, a helicopter crew from Anchorage and troopers dispatched by boat from Anchor Point found the plane fully submerged in about 15 feet of water. Due to the tide, authorities had to wait until approximately 6:30 p.m. for the water level to recede before they could retrieve the bodies of the four adult victims.
The victims' remains are scheduled to be transported to the state medical examiner's office for autopsies. Their identities will be released after notification of next of kin.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the incident.
This crash follows another fatal plane incident in western Alaska last week, where eight people died when their charter plane crashed at a remote military site. In that case, the NTSB indicated the aircraft was on its second runway approach in heavy fog and struggling with visibility.