At least 4 dead in Alaska air collision; search for 2 people goes on

Federal investigators were heading to Alaska on Tuesday to determine why two sightseeing floatplanes collided in midair, killing at least four people and injuring 10 others.

Two people remained missing after the crash Monday near Ketchikan.

The planes, featuring pontoons that allow them to land on water, were flying cruise ship passengers on tours of Misty Fjords National Monument in the nearby Tongass National Forest, Princess Cruises said in a statement.

“There are two people that we’re still searching for at this time,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios told ABC News on “Good Morning America. ” “Our crews are out there searching diligently alongside our partner agencies and some good Samaritans.”

Ten people were being treated at Peace Health’s Ketchikan Medical Center. One person was in critical condition initially, but all were later listed in fair or good condition, spokeswoman Marty West said.

Chris John, an incident commander with the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, told the Anchorage Daily News that a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver with five people aboard crashed on a steep rocky shoreline, ending up upside down and partially submerged. The other plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3 with 11 aboard, crashed about a mile away, he said.

The planes crashed under unknown circumstances, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said.

“It’s been a long day and the crews have been working really hard to rescue people and recover the deceased,” Deanna Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the local government, said Monday.