10 killed in Alaska air taxi plane crash

Authorities in Alaska said the crash of an air taxi plane killed its pilot and nine passengers reportedly during takeoff from Soldotna Airport.

Police and emergency personnel stand near the remains of a fixed-wing aircraft that was engulfed in flames in Soldotna, Alaska, Sunday, July 7.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An air taxi crashed Sunday at an Alaska airport, killing all 10 people aboard, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator said.

The accident happened around 11:20 a.m. and sent the fixed-wing aircraft up in flames, said Meagan Peters of Alaska State Troopers. The victims have not yet been identified.

NTSB investigator Clint Johnson said the pilot and nine passengers were killed in the crash at the airport late Sunday morning. Initial reports had the accident happening as the plane took off.

NTSB identified the aircraft in a release Sunday as a de Havilland Otter Air Taxi, which the Aviation Safety Foundation says can seat up to 20 passengers.

The NTSB is sending a team to investigate the crash. NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said one local member of the team was at the scene Sunday evening.

For many Alaskans, flying across the state is common, exposing residents to a litany of hazards including treacherous mountain passes and volatile weather.

Alaska already has seen several plane crashes this year, including a June 28 crash that killed a pilot and two passengers on a commercial tour in the Alaska Range.

The Soldotna crash comes a day after an Asiana flight crashed at San Francisco's airport.

Soldotna is south of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula.