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2 small planes carrying 5 people collide mid-air in Alaska

Xinhua, September 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

Two small airplanes collided mid-air over western Alaska on Wednesday, and the condition of the total five people on board is unknown.

The Alaska National Guard said the collision just before 11 a.m. took place about 60 miles, or 97 kilometers, north of Bethel, where a Guard helicopter with medics on board left around noon to head to the crash site.

Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead, a spokeswoman for the Alaska National Guard, was quoted as saying by reports reaching here that the aircraft involved are a Hageland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan carrying three people and a Renfro's Alaska Adventures Piper PA-18 Super Cub carrying two people.

While the Alaska Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was expected to arrive about 1:30 p.m., Olmstead said Alaska State Troopers sent a Cessna Caravan aircraft to Russian Mission, about 6 miles, or 9.7 kilometers, from the crash site.

Clint Johnson, the lead Alaska investigator of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTBS), told Alaska Dispatch News that the NTSB was notified about the crash and that "this is an active rescue right now, and we are standing by to find out what the outcome of that rescue is." Endit