ANCHORAGE, Alaska — UPDATE: The Associated Press is reporting all nine souls on board have died.
EARLIER REPORT: The United States Coast Guard has deployed medics to a lake in the Ketchikan area in Alaska, where a plane with nine people on board crashed Thursday afternoon.
The Alaska State Troopers told KTUU they were informed of the plane’s crash just after 2 p.m.
There is no word on the condition of those on-board.
“The report was confirmed by a Temsco helicopter pilot who stated he had observed the downed aircraft approximately 800 feet above Ella Lake in the Misty Fjords area against a granite rock face,” troopers said.
Holland America, a British American owned cruise line based in Seattle, said in a statement that the small float plane was owned by Promech Air and the flight carried eight guests from the ship Westerdam and a pilot.
The passengers from the crashed plane were from a cruise ship that departed Seattle on June 20.
From KTUU: — “The Holland America Line said in a Thursday statement that the plane was carrying eight passengers from the MS Westerdam, a cruise ship visiting Ketchikan on an Inside Passage voyage, plus a Promech pilot. The plane was on a trip as part of a shore excursion sold through the cruise line when it was involved in an accident about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan.
“We are incredibly distressed by this situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with those on board the plane and their families,” Holland America officials wrote. “Holland America Line is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved.”
Lt. j.g. Thomas Kennedy, with the Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center, said the aircraft was reported missing to the Coast Guard en route from Misty Fjords to Ketchikan at about 2 p.m. Thursday. An intensive search involving Alaska State Troopers and private air carriers was launched for the plane, which was found at about 3:20 p.m.” —
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost city in Alaska.
