C-123 down in Denali

[Fräulein]

Not a good week to be flying cargo planes in Alaska.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/08/02/Three-dead-in-cargo-plane-crash-in-Alaska/UPI-63821280724285/

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A large multi-engine cargo plane crashed near the Denali National Park headquarters in Alaska, killing the three people on board, a park official said.

Officials said the people aboard the Fairchild C-123 -- registered to All West Freight Inc. of Delta Junction, Alaska -- when it went down had been identified but the names weren't being released until relatives were notified, KTVA-TV, Anchorage, reported Monday.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators were to arrive Monday.

Numerous witnesses, including many tourists, saw the plane crash into Mount Healy's south face about 3 p.m. Sunday, the television station reported.

"We were kind of talking about it, and it looked like he was flying kind of low, and he banked hard to the left and went straight down we saw the fireball come up from the back side of the mountains," said Alaskan visitor Brent Stache of Wisconsin. "If you can imagine a big jet crashing and all the airplane fuel starting on fire and going straight up in the air."

The impact started a large wildfire that burned through the night, hampering investigators, officials said.

Park officials said Denali Park Road near the crash site was open to traffic, but the Rock Creek and Roadside trails were temporarily closed. Officials also imposed a temporary flight restriction over the crash site.

[SEFEGeorge]

http://www.adn.com/2010/08/01/1391108/plane-crashes-in-alaska-national.html