The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on Tuesday that a plane crashed near Fairbanks, Alaska, according to ABC News.
A Douglas C-54 aircraft carrying fuel crashed into the Tanana River in Fairbanks, Alaska, shortly after takeoff from Fairbanks International Airport on Tuesday morning. according to Go to ABC News. The accident occurred around 10 a.m. local time, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed.
The FAA is also investigating and confirmed that two people were on board the aircraft operated by Alaska Air Fuel. The flight was designated as a Part 91 fuel transport operation, the paper said. After the crash, the aircraft skidded into a steep riverbank and caught fire. The Alaska Department of Public Safety reported that no survivors were found and issued a statement around 2 p.m. local time. (Related: Tech mogul and his wife die in plane crash during 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 skidded into a steep hill on the riverbank where a fire broke out. No survivors have been found,” the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement, ABC News reported. The NTSB has sent investigators to the scene and plans to recover the wreckage. Fairbanks International Airport announced that it is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Michaela Matherne was on her way from Galena Village to Fairbanks to catch a connecting flight to New Orleans when her small plane was diverted to confirm the coordinates of the crash site. according to To the Associated Press.
“When we were in the air, there was speculation that the fire had started in the cabin, possibly in a fish camp,” she told The Associated Press. “In fact, we didn’t know what we were seeing until we landed a few minutes later. We were shocked and saddened to hear it.”
