"Recovery crew reaches site of deadly Alaska plane crash" Associated Press June 27, 2015
JUNEAU, Alaska — A recovery crew Friday reached a remote site in southeast Alaska where a sightseeing plane crashed, killing all nine people aboard.
Chris John of the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad said the aircraft was sitting at a steep angle and three members from his organization had to secure it so they could safely work to recover the bodies.
Eight cruise ship passengers and the pilot died when the DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter turboprop went down Thursday in Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
The identities of those on the plane were being withheld while authorities worked to notify their families. Their remains will be taken to the state medical examiner’s office.
The plane crashed on a cliff in steep, muddy, and slippery terrain, John said. The fuselage was largely intact, but the wings and tail were separated or heavily deformed, he said.
On Thursday, the Coast Guard received a report that the plane was overdue. A locator transmitter activated, and a helicopter pilot later spotted the downed aircraft.
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