A Douglas DC-4 plane crashed on Tuesday morning, April 23, near Fairbanks, Alaska, state officials said, although few other details were immediately known.
Two people were on board the plane, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, but there was no immediate word on their condition, the Associated Press reported.
“The Alaska State Troopers and our local, state, and federal partners are responding to a plane crash on the Tanana River near Kallenberg Road in Fairbanks,” an Alaskan State Trooper statement said. “The plane is a Douglas DC-4. Please avoid the area and expect an increased first responder presence in the area. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
Local news outlets reported witnesses hearing an explosion before looking up to see a plane with an engine on fire followed by another explosion and crash, just before 10:00 a.m. local time.
“We acknowledge the ongoing situation involving the Douglas DC-4 aircraft on the Tanana River near Kallenberg Road,” the airport said in a statement to the outlet.
The C-54 is a military version of the Douglas DC-4, which was a World War II-era airplane. The website www.airlines.net said standard passenger seating for a DC-4 was 44 during its heyday, but most have been converted to freighters, according to the AP.
No additional details were available.
