On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that a Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into a frozen river shortly after takeoff in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which also investigates the incident, said two people were on board the plane.
The FAA told The Independent that the Douglas DC-4 aircraft crashed into the Tanana River close to Fairbanks International Airport at around 10:40 am local time. No survivors have been found.
According to Alaska State Troopers, the plane crashed roughly seven miles from the airport and slid into a steep hill on the bank of the river, where it caught fire. Images released to The Associated Press showed a burning wreckage and a towering cloud of smoke billowing into the sky.
The NTSB, overseeing inquiries into the incident, said that Alaska Air Fuel operated the plane as a Part 91 fuel transport flight. It crashed into the river for an unknown reason.
A spokesperson told The Independent that NTSB investigators are on the way to the scene and expected to arrive shortly.
"Once on scene, they will begin documenting the site and examining the aircraft. Once that work is complete, the aircraft will be recovered and taken to a secure facility for further evaluation," the spokesperson added.
Although the AP stated there were no survivors, it was unknown how the two people on board were doing. The NTSB further noted that it is not involved in disclosing accident victims' identities or the severity and number of injuries they sustained.
Furthermore, the organization also keeps the identity of people hurt or killed in such incidents confidential. The NTSB also said that local authorities handle that.
