Small plane crashes into shallow water in Alaska, resulting in four fatalities

<p>A small airplane crashed into shallow waters near a coastal town in Alaska on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals on board, according to officials.</p><p>The aircraft, a Piper PA-24-260, was en route to an airport in Seldovia after departing from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage when it crashed at approximately 1:18 p.m., as stated by the Alaska Department of Public Safety.</p><p>Seldovia's airport is located about 136 miles southwest of Anchorage.</p><p>"Alaska State Troopers were notified that a small plane had crashed in the Seldovia Slough," the statement indicated.</p><p>A helicopter crew from Anchorage was dispatched to the crash site, and additional troopers were sent by boat from Anchor Point.</p><p>Following the crash, the plane was fully submerged in about 15 feet of water in the Seldovia Slough near the shore, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief.</p><p>Troopers had to wait until the tide receded to access the aircraft.</p><p>Once the tide level dropped at approximately 6:30 p.m., troopers were able to recover the bodies of the four adult victims from the plane.</p><p>The bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy, and the names of the victims will be released once next of kin are notified, as per the Alaska Department of Public Safety.</p><p>The cause of the crash remains under investigation.</p><p>The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the incident.</p><p>This incident follows another plane crash last week at a military site in western Alaska, which resulted in the deaths of all eight individuals on board. That aircraft was making its second runway approach in heavy fog, and the pilots were reportedly struggling to see the gravel airstrip, according to officials.</p><p>In that incident, the Cessna's two pilots were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed. Regulations required that the pilots abort their first landing attempt due to poor visibility, and the plane crashed on its second attempt, approximately one-third of a mile from the runway.</p><p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p>