Alaska air taxi crash kills all onboard

An Alaska air taxi float plane crashed at an airport in Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, killing all 10 people onboard shortly after 11 a.m. local time on Sunday.

An Alaska air taxi float plane crashed at an airport in Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, killing all 10 people onboard shortly after 11 a.m. local time on Sunday. Soldotna police officials reported that all the 10 bodies had been recovered and were sent for identification to the state medical examiner’s office in Anchorage.

Although authorities have not yet identified the crash victims, it was reported by the Anchorage Daily News that the pilot was co-owner of Rediske Air, 42-year-old Walter Rediske. According to the Soldotna Police Department, it is believed that all the passengers were from South Carolina.

A witness said that the de Havilland DHC3 Otter aircraft was taking off when it crashed, and then immediately caught on fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent a team of federal safety investigators to the crash scene at Soldotna, a fishing community. NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss explained that because the aircraft was an air taxi, the crash is a high priority, as air taxis must meet a higher standard than general aviation aircraft.

A firefighter said they could see the plume from 3 miles away, and upon arrival at the crash site, the plane was completely engulfed in flames.

The Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage, is a popular tourist destination, and Rediske Air provides sightseeing charters and air-taxi services in the area.

A Rediske Air spokeswoman declined to make any comments at this time.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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