You are about to be charged £0.00
Four people were killed after a small plane plunged into the waters off the coast of Alaska.
A Piper PA-24-260 crashed at 1.15pm shortly after takeoff from an airport in the remote coastal town of Seldovia, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s Alaska region chief.
Seldovia is around 136 miles southwest of Anchorage, the capital of Alaska.
The small craft was submerged in some 15 feet of water in the Seldovia Slough near the shore.
Emergency responders struggle to reach the plane in the frigid water, which can reach temperatures as low as 3 C, Mr Johnson added.
At around 6.30pm, the tide dropped and Alaska State Troopers were able to recover four bodies from within the plane.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
An investigation has now been launched by the NTSB.
A Piper PA-24-260, similar to the one which crashed in Alaska
|WIKIMEDIA / FLUGKERL2
The state medical examiner will conduct autopsies on the remains.
Seldovia City Manager Heidi Geagel, on scene after the crash, confirmed the plane crashed near the airport to Alaskan local media.
The remote port town of Seldovia has a population of just 235.
No roads connect it to other communities, making it only accessibly by boat or plane.
LATEST TRAGEDIES IN THE AIR:
- Onlookers left screaming as airport worker killed on tarmac by reversing passenger jet
- Pilot, 62, suffers 'potentially life-threatening injuries' after light aircraft crash in Hampshire
- Popular UK air show withdraws iconic display after life-threatening aerodrome plane crash
The plane crashed near the remote town of Seldovia, Alaska, with a population of just 235
|WIKIMEDIA / ALASKATREKKER
The horror crash comes less than a week after a US-contracted civilian aircraft crashed at a remote site in Alaska, killing all eight people on board.
Two of the deceased in the crash on August 21 were employed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the US military said.
They were identified as Sabrina Hansen, a fire protection engineer, and Hayden Scalis, a mechanical engineer, the agency said on Wednesday.
The pair were on a routine visit to inspect and maintain a new fire suppression system.
An overhead picture of the tiny Seldovia airport
|SELDOVIA
A third victim was named by the US Air Force's Alaskan operation as 2nd Lt Leah R Borsich, 23, a project programmer assigned to the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The US Air Force Alaskan Command chief said those on board were "dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment".
"This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve," Lt Gen Robert Davis added.
He said in a statement: "Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends and teammates during this devastating time.
""We are profoundly grateful for the swift and tireless response of our search and recovery professionals."
The flight originally took off from Anchorage International Airport headed some 450 miles to Cape Newenham, the airport which hosts a long-range radar site.
The vast majority of the USACE's workforce are civilian contractors rather than soldiers.