Former Senator Stevens, former NASA chief O’Keefe on downed plane in Alaska

Former Alaska Senator Ted “series of tubes” Stevens and former NASA chief Sean O’Keefe are believed to have been two of the nine people aboard a plane that crashed in Alaska shortly before 9pm last night.

The FAA has indicated that five of the nine died in the crash, but have not yet discovered or disclosed the fates of Senator Stevens or O’Keefe. The former senator’s family issued a statement about the recovery efforts following the crash:

“The Ted Stevens family offers their prayers for all those on board and for their families. We thank the brave men and women who are working to reach the site,” said a family statement read on CNN by Stevens’ former chief of staff, Mitch Rose.

“We continue to work with the Alaska National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska state troopers. We thank everyone for their support and prayers,” the statement said.

The former senator’s relatives have not confirmed his presence on the flight, but several family friends speaking on the condition of anonymity have indicated to press that the Senator was onboard the flight. Weather conditions in the area are said to be impeding the effort, but initial reports say that four of the nine people aboard survived.