A charter plane carrying eight people crashed near a remote radar site in western Alaska, the Associated Press said on Thursday, citing the National Transportation Safety Board.
Clint Johnson, the chief of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska region, announced that there were two pilots and six passengers on board the plane.
The aircraft reportedly took off from Anchorage and is thought to have crashed on Thursday afternoon while approaching Cape Newenham, according to Johnson.
He emphasized that the information received so far is preliminary.
Rescue mission underway
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center launched a search and rescue mission after receiving a report of an "aircraft incident" near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, according to the AP report.
Rescue officials said they would release additional information as it became available, but did not respond to further inquiries.