Ten people were killed when a chartered air taxi crashed and burst into flames at an airport in Alaska's Kenai Peninsula.
The pilot and all nine passengers on board the single-engine de Havilland DHC-3 Otter air taxi died when the aircraft crashed at the remote municipal airport, the Peninsula Clarion reports.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are trying to determine if the plane crashed while landing or taking off. The incident occurred at Soldotna Municipal Airport about 11:20 am on Sunday.
This incident was the second deadly plane crash within two days. The air taxi crashed just 25 hours after Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed after hitting the runway at San Francisco International Airport. Two teenage girls and more than 180 people were injured in this incident.
The plane was chartered as an air taxi when it crashed, Alaska State Troopers said. It immediately burst into flames after it hit the ground. Firefighters from Soldotna had to put out the flames.
Flying across Alaska can be risky as the state has many obstacles such as mountain passes and harsh weather conditions. There were several plane crashes in the state this year. The last crash was on June 28 when a pilot and two passengers were killed during a commercial tour in the Alaska Range.
According to The Peninsula Clarion, the plane was being piloted by Willy Rediske, who owns the air taxi and charter service, Rediske Airlines. Rediske started Rediske Airlines and a charter service in 1991 with his father. His sister took over in 2001 and the company grew across the state.
The NTSB is investigating the crash. A local NTSB member was on the scene on Sunday night.
Soldotna, 64 miles south of Anchorage, is difficult to reach by car due to a complex highway which turns to trip into a 150 mile journey.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
