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Plane Crash in Alaska: 2 Collide, Killing at Least 4 People Alaska Plane Crash Kills at Least 4 After Small Aircraft Collide in Midair
(about 7 hours later)
At least four people were killed, 10 others were injured and two were missing after two small planes carrying cruise ship passengers collided in midair on Monday over a remote part of southeast Alaska, the authorities said. A midair collision on Monday between two small planes carrying cruise ship passengers over a remote part of southeast Alaska killed at least four people, injured 10 others and left two people missing, the authorities said.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the two small propeller planes, which had pontoons for landing on water, to crash near George Inlet at about 1 p.m. local time. The passengers had been on a Royal Princess cruise ship. It was not immediately clear what caused the two propeller planes, which had pontoons for landing on water, to crash near George Inlet around 1 p.m. local time.
Lt. Brian Dykens, a United States Coast Guard spokesman, said more than 50 members of the Coast Guard were using helicopters and boats to search for the missing people. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, was expected to arrive in Alaska on Tuesday, a spokesman for the agency said. Federal Aviation Administration officials are also examining the crash.
Mischa Chernick, a spokeswoman for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, said three of the rescued passengers were in serious condition and seven were in fair condition. The passengers had been on a Royal Princess cruise ship that left Vancouver on May 11 for a seven-day “Voyage of the Glaciers.”
George Inlet is about eight nautical miles from Ketchikan, which is a popular stop for cruise ships due to the extensive outdoor activities available in the area. One of the planes, which was carrying 10 passengers and a pilot on an excursion that was sold through the cruise line, was returning from a tour of Misty Fjords, a national monument and wilderness area, Princess Cruises said in a statement sent to local news media. George Inlet is about eight nautical miles from Ketchikan, which is a popular stop for cruise ships because of the extensive options for outdoor activities in the area.
The other plane was carrying four cruise passengers and a pilot on an independent tour, the company said. One of the planes, which was carrying 10 passengers and a pilot on an excursion that was sold through the cruise line, was returning from a tour of Misty Fjords, a national monument and wilderness area, Princess Cruises said in a statement. Ten of those people survived and one died, the company said.
The larger plane was operated by Taquan Air, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately known what company had operated the smaller plane. The plane was operated by Taquan Air, a regional airline based in Ketchikan that offers sightseeing tours and regularly scheduled flights. “We are devastated by today’s incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families,” Taquan said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The airline did not respond to a request for comment.
“We are devastated by today’s incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families,” Taquan said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. The other plane was carrying four cruise passengers and a pilot on an independent tour, Princess Cruises said. The bodies of two passengers and the pilot, all Americans, were recovered overnight. Rescue efforts were continuing for the other passengers, one Australian and one Canadian, Princess Cruises said in a statement on Tuesday.
The cruise ship left from Vancouver on May 11 and is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on May 18, Princess Cruises said. More than 50 members of the Coast Guard were using helicopters and boats to search for the two missing people, said Lt. Brian Dykens, a Coast Guard spokesman.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Mischa Chernick, a spokeswoman for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, said on Tuesday that six patients who were admitted to the hospital were in fair condition, and four patients were evacuated to Seattle in stable condition.
It was not immediately known what company had operated the smaller plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. The larger plane was a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter.
“All of us at Princess Cruises are deeply saddened by this tragic news and we are extending our full support to the investigating authorities as well as the traveling companions of the guests involved,” said Brian O’Connor, a spokesman for Princess Cruises.
The cruise ship was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on May 18, Princess Cruises said.