Four Fatalities Confirmed After Small Plane Crashes Near Seldovia, Alaska

A Piper PA-24 aircraft carrying four adults crashed into about 15 feet of water in the Seldovia Slough, near the coastal town of Seldovia, Alaska, on Wednesday. The plane had departed Anchorage and was en route to Seldovia’s airport, roughly 136 miles southwest of Anchorage. Troopers retrieved the bodies after the tide receded, and the remains were sent to the medical examiner’s office pending notification of next of kin. The Alaska Department of Public Safety said the cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation.

"These tragedies are heartbreaking and unacceptable, which is why aviation safety and infrastructure in Alaska continue to be a top focus of mine," U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said in a Facebook post, adding that he will receive a briefing from the NTSB and FAA.