Fed agency: 9 people on plane die in crash on Alaska cliff

The Holland America Line cruise ship Westerdam sits in dock in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Officials say eight passengers on an excursion off the ship and a pilot were in a plane that was found crashed against the granite rock face of a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. All nine people aboard died in the crash, authorities said. The Holland America Line cruise ship Westerdam sits in dock in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Officials say eight passengers on an excursion off the ship and a pilot were in a plane that was found crashed against the granite rock face of a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. All nine people aboard died in the crash, authorities said.

By Associated Press June 26, 2015 3 min read

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – All nine people aboard a sightseeing plane died in a crash Thursday in southeast Alaska, authorities said, but stormy weather prevented the immediate recovery of the bodies.

“We have nine fatalities,” said Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska office.

Rain and wind forced an end to recovery efforts Thursday night in the rugged terrain about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan. Officials would mount a recovery attempt again on Friday, he said.

There was no immediate indication of why the DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter turboprop crashed. It was found Thursday against the granite rock face of a cliff, 800 feet above Ella Lake.

Johnson said it was too soon to know circumstances of the crash, including whether the plane flew into the cliff.