10 killed in air taxi crash at Alaska airport

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Anchorage, Alaska • Authorities say an air taxi has crashed at the Soldotna Airport in Alaska, killing all 10 people on board.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Clint Johnson says the pilot and nine passengers were killed in the crash at the airport late Sunday morning.

Meagan Peters of Alaska State Troopers says the fixed-wing aircraft was fully engulfed in flames before firefighters could reach the plane.

The victims have not yet been identified.

The accident happened about 11:20 a.m. Johnson said initial reports said the accident happened as the plane took off.

The NTSB identified the aircraft in a release Sunday as a de Havilland Otter Air Taxi. The NTSB is sending a team to investigate the crash.