Former Alaska US Senator Ted Stevens & Four Others Killed in Plane Crash near Dillingham, AK

Former Alaska US Senator Ted Stevens and four others were killed in a plane crash Monday when their DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter crashed near Dillingham, Alaska. Ted Stevens served as the US Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009. Ted Stevens was the longest serving Republican senator in history  Four others of the nine passengers aboard the flight were killed as well,  Terry Smith, 62, of Eagle River, Bill Phillips, Sr., Dana Tindall, 48 of Anchorage and her daughter, Corey Tindall, 16.

Former Sen. Ted Stevens and four other people were killed in a plane crash Monday.

Five of the nine passengers of a DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter were killed. Alaska State Troopers identified all of the victims in the crash Tuesday afternoon.

Dead are Stevens, the plane’s pilot Terry Smith, 62, of Eagle River, Bill Phillips, Sr., Dana Tindall, 48 of Anchorage and her daughter, Corey Tindall, 16.

The four survivors were transported to Providence Hospital in Anchorage with varying degrees of injuries – they are William Phillips, Jr., 13,former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe, 54, his son Kevin O’Keefe, and Jim Morhard of Alexandria, Va.

Initial reports from Alaska from people who had arrived on the scene reported the plane flew into the side of the mountain and skidded about 200 feet. They didn’t believe anyone had survived.

National Guard statement on crash near Dillingham.

The Alaska Air National Guard is responding to a plane crash 17-miles north of Dillingham that occurred Monday night.

The Air Force 11th Rescue Coordination Center, manned by Alaska National Guardsmen, was contacted by Dillingham Flight Service after a Good Samaritan spotted a downed aircraft around 7 p.m.

The Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were alerted and are currently battling inclement weather en-route to the scene. They are expected to arrive at the plane crash site sometime after midnight.