NTSB efforts to recover Alaska plane wreckage hampered by reduced visibility

Reduced visibility delayed the rescue efforts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to recover wreckage from a plane crash that killed six people in Alaska, The Associated Press reported.

NTSB’s Alaska region chief Clint Johnson told the news wire that officials had to call off recovery plans Sunday due to the poor conditions. 

Johnson also said the plane wreckage is located on top of a steep, rugged mountain area that is 12 miles northeast of Alaskan city Ketchikan. He added that a helicopter might have to remove the plane wreckage from the site due to the poor visibility, according to the AP. 

“However long it takes, we will wait for the weather and wait patiently for it. But we’re going to get this done,” Johnson said. 

Authorities have identified the six people killed in the crash as pilot Rolf Lanzendorfer, age 64; Mark Henderson, 69; Jacquelyn Komplin, 60; Andrea McArthur, 55; Rachel McArthur, 20; and Janet Kroll, 77, the AP reported. 

Cruise line company Holland America Line confirmed that the five passengers on the plane were on their Nieuw Amsterdam cruise, which was nearing the end of its weeklong tour. 

The cruise line noted that the excursion the passengers were on was not sold by the company, the AP noted.