Alaska, Aug 29:
Four people were killed when a small aircraft crashed into shallow coastal waters near the remote Alaskan town of Seldovia on Wednesday, according to state authorities.
The Piper PA-24 was flying towards Seldovia after departing from Anchorage when it crashed into the Seldovia Slough near the shoreline.
Seldovia is located about 219 km southwest of Anchorage.
The aircraft came to rest submerged in approximately 15 feet of water, according to Clint Johnson, chief of the Alaska region of the National Transportation Safety Board.
The crash occurred close to the shore but rescue personnel had to wait for the tide to recede before they could reach the aircraft.
Alaska State Troopers subsequently recovered the bodies of all four adults aboard the plane.
The victims’ bodies were transported to the medical examiner’s office for identification and examination.
Authorities said the names of those killed would not be released until their next of kin had been notified.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation to determine what led to the aircraft going down.
Investigators are expected to examine the plane, flight records, weather conditions and other available evidence as part of the inquiry.
US Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska said he would receive briefings from the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration as investigators work to establish what went wrong.
The accident occurred near the small coastal community of Seldovia, where aviation plays an important role in connecting remote communities with larger population centres.
Small aircraft are widely used in Alaska because of the state’s vast distances, difficult terrain and limited road connectivity.
The investigation is expected to determine whether mechanical failure, weather, pilot-related factors or other circumstances contributed to the crash.
Officials said there was no immediate indication of the cause as the investigation got underway.
The NTSB and FAA are expected to release further information as the inquiry progresses. .