Four Fatalities Confirmed in Small Plane Crash Near Seldovia Airport
Alaska State Troopers reported that four people died when a Piper PA-24 crashed into Seldovia Slough on Wednesday, and the bodies were recovered later that evening.
Alaska State Troopers said a Piper PA-24 that had taken off from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage crashed into the waters of Seldovia Slough at about 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, killing all four occupants. The aircraft sank in 13 to 17 feet of water near Seldovia’s airport, according to Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief for the National Transportation Safety Board.
Witnesses at the scene attempted to reach the submerged plane but were unable to do so, Johnson said. State troopers arrived at the crash site around 4:30 p.m., and a combined response team that included Alaska State Troopers, Wildlife Troopers from Anchor Point, a patrol vessel, and a helicopter from Anchorage was deployed, according to spokesperson Austin McDaniel of the Department of Public Safety.
When the tide receded at approximately 6:30 p.m., rescuers were able to retrieve the four bodies from the aircraft. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will perform autopsies, and the National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.