KTUU, an NBC-affiliate station in Anchorage, is reporting that former Sen. Ted Stevens (R) has died in the crash near Dillingham in the Southwest Alaska.
Dave Dittman, a former aide and longtime family friend of former Sen. Ted Stevens says Stevens was killed in a plane crash near Dillingham Monday night. Nine people were on board, including former NASA Chief Sean O'Keefe. Five people were killed in the crash, but other identities were not known, nor are the conditions of the survivors.
Late through the night rescue crews were battling bad weather conditions to reach the scene, where Good Samaritan personnel had already made it, said Air National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes.
A military C-130 and a Pave Hawk helicopter were waiting in Dillingham for the weather to break and reached the site just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Stevens was the seventh-longest serving senator in history, appointed in 1968 and winning seven elections. His career ended when he lost a close election in 2008, following an indictment and subsequent conviction on charges he made false statements on financial disclosure forms. In 2009, a federal judge threw out the conviction, citing prosecutorial misconduct.
We'll update as the story is confirmed. But reaction is already pouring in.
Speaking on Fox News Channel, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called Stevens "an Alaskan hero," while noting that her state has an unfortunately high number of plane crashes each year.
"It's heartbreaking. What makes the challenge even greater of course is that typical weather around Bristol Bay," she said. "The rescue efforts are extremely challenging, very, very difficult. You have to hope for the best and pray for these rescue workers that they don't hit such adverse conditions that they too don't become part of the problem."
Comments
It is said that he had a premonition of his own death in an air wreck prior to the 1978 plane crash that he survived. His first wife was killed in that event.
Posted by: Louis B. Stephens | August 10, 2010 1:02 PM
What an absolutely horrible way to die! I wish peace for his family and rest for Sen. Stevens, and the same for the others on the plane with him.
Posted by: Op109 | August 10, 2010 1:42 PM
This is the thing for many planes where their life has been put on race for few meeting .They are been put on their life and get the rewards back to their family members as the money or other things but their securities and other things doest matter the issues says.
Posted by: seo consultants | August 10, 2010 2:25 PM
There has been a rash of small plane crashes or so it seems these days. With all the technology we have to avoid bad weather in the air how does this still happen?
Posted by: conservativemaster | August 10, 2010 4:59 PM