FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – A Douglas C-54 Skymaster plane carrying two people crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks and burst into flames Tuesday, authorities said. No survivors have been found.
The plane took off from Fairbanks International Airport in the morning. The plane crashed about 7 miles (11 kilometers) away and “slided down a steep riverbank hill, where it caught fire,” Alaska State Troopers said.
Clint Johnson, director of the Alaska Regional Office of the National Transportation Safety Board, said it remains unclear what happened between takeoff and the crash, but tower managers “saw a large plume of smoke.” .
Michaela Matherne was flying from Galena Village to Fairbanks to catch a flight to New Orleans when her small plane was diverted to locate the coordinates of the crash site.
“When we were in the air, there was some speculation that the fire was in the cabin, maybe a fish camp,” she told The Associated Press via Facebook Messenger.
“We actually didn't know what we were seeing until we landed a few minutes later,” she said. “We were shocked and saddened to hear that.”
The C-54 is the military version of the Douglas DC-4, a World War II-era airplane. According to the website www.airlines.net, the DC-4's standard seating capacity was 44 during his heyday, most of which were converted to cargo planes.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the plane as a Douglas C-54. Officers confirmed it was a DC-4.
The NTSB had investigators on scene, Johnson said.
Details such as the purpose and destination of the flight are not available at this time.
