Plane, possibly with ex-Alaska senator, crashes!

[Newsbot]

JUNEAU, Alaska – A plane carrying nine people crashed amid southwest Alaska's remote mountains and lakes, killing five people on board, authorities said Tuesday. Former Sen. Ted Stevens and ex-NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe were believed to aboard, but it was unclear if they were among the dead.

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Reports from officials in Alaska were that nine people were aboard the aircraft and that "it appears that there are five fatalities," NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz told The Associated Press in Washington.

A U.S. government official told The Associated Press that Alaska authorities have been told that the 86-year-old Stevens, a former longtime Republican senator, was on the plane. The official, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, says Stevens' condition is unknown.

The federal official declined to be publicly identified because the crash response and investigation are under way.

Stevens was one of two survivors in a 1978 plane crash at Anchorage International Airport that killed his wife, Ann, and several others.

Defense contractor EADS North America said Tuesday morning that O'Keefe, the CEO of the U.S.-based division of the European company, was a passenger on the small plane. The company said it had no further information about O'Keefe's status.

Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes said the Guard was called to the area about 20 miles north of Dillingham at about 7 p.m. Monday after a passing aircraft saw the downed plane. But severe weather has hampered search and rescue efforts.

Hayes said five people were on scene early Tuesday helping the crash victims. It was unclear how they reached the site.

Reportedly, one of the rescuers asked, "Mr. Stevens, are you dead?" and received a harshly-shouted "NO!!" as a response. However, in lesser vertebrates, the body can continue to wriggle or shout "NO!!" for hours after death, so this is inconclusive.

[Ran]

What are the chances of a husband & wife being killed in plane crashes 32 years apart?

[vynsane]

What are the chances of a husband & wife being killed in plane crashes 32 years apart?

50/50? idk, i'm not good at odds.

[anarky]

In Alaska, not as long a shot as anywhere else in the US. You have to take a plane from the continental US, plus some cities are so far separated that it's next to impossible to drive from one to another, since there aren't really any points in between. I heard there are more plane crashes in Alaska each year than in the other 49 states combined due to the necessity of air travel.

[Diabolical]

Too bad the headline wasn't: "Plane, possibly with annoying ex-Alaska Governor, crashes!"

[anarky]

Mrs A made a joke this morning about Palin's response, where she screamed, "No, no, no!"

I pointed out that was stupid melty Palpatine, not Ted Stevens. Stevens just yelled one sharp "No!" Plus, Palin's response was probably more along the lines of, "Who?"