Four Killed When Small Plane Crashes Into Alaska Waters

All four occupants of a small aircraft perished Wednesday after the plane went down in shallow waters near Seldovia, a remote coastal Alaska community, state authorities reported. The Piper PA-24-260 had departed from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage and was en route to Seldovia’s airport, roughly 136 miles southwest, when it plunged into the Seldovia Slough at approximately 1:18 p.m., according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Emergency responders mobilized quickly following notification of the crash in the slough. A helicopter crew from Anchorage responded to the scene while additional state troopers traveled by boat from Anchor Point to assist with recovery efforts. Officials determined the submerged aircraft rested in approximately 15 feet of water, necessitating a wait for tidal conditions to shift.

At around 6:30 p.m., as water levels receded, Alaska State Troopers successfully recovered the bodies of the four adult victims from the aircraft. State authorities indicated the remains will undergo autopsy at the state medical examiner’s office, with victim identities to be released following notification of next of kin.

The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation into the crash as the cause remains undetermined. This incident follows a separate fatal aircraft accident the previous week at a remote military installation in western Alaska that claimed eight lives.