The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a plane crashed Tuesday near Fairbanks, Alaska, ABC News reported.
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, according to ABC News. The crash occurred around 10 a.m. local time, as confirmed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The FAA, 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, the outlet reported. 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. (RELATED: Tech Mogul And Wife Killed In Plane Crash Amid Snowstorm)
Douglas C-54 plane crashes near river in Fairbanks, Alaska https://t.co/fKCLHLZ8Qa pic.twitter.com/N9Kffb40ib
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) April 24, 2024
“The aircraft slid into a steep hill on the bank of the river where it caught fire. No survivors have been located,” the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement, ABC News reported. 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, according to 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,” she told AP. “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.”