Report: Stevens among dead in Alaska plane crash

A family friend and one-time aide to former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens says Stevens was among the dead in last night’s plane crash near Dillingham, although his death has not officially been confirmed.

Dave Dittman spoke to Alaska’s KTUU, confirming that he had received a phone call last night reporting Stevens had died in the crash:

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. Dittman says he received a call overnight Monday that said the former senator was dead. 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.

It also remains unconfirmed whether O’Keefe was among the dead, but the KTUU report seems to indicate that it took nearly twelve hours for crews to reach the site of the crash due to adverse weather conditions. However, Good Samaritans at the scene are said to have administered help to the injured while first-responders waited for weather to break.