Three people have been killed after a small plane plunged into a Nebraska river, leaving no survivors.
U.S. aviation officials have taken over an investigation into the tragedy after the small craft crash landed in the Platte River, south of Fremont, on Friday night.
The plane was traveling along the river when it crashed into the water at 8.15pm local time. Rescue teams, using airboats, drones and a police helicopter, have been scouring the wreckage located about 37 miles (59.5 kilometers) west of Omaha, but all three passengers on board were killed in the incident.
The authorities are contacting the victim’s next of kin and investigations into the cause of the deadly crash are ongoing.
In a statement, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office said: “A small plane was traveling along the Platte River south of Fremont when it crashed into the river.
“The three occupants of the plane have been recovered and are confirmed deceased. Those identities will not be released at this time pending next of kin notification.
“The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation at this point.”
Locals have been asked to avoid the area while emergency crews work at the scene.
The crash comes after a family of five and pilot were killed when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into New York’s Hudson River earlier this month.
Divers were last week still salvaging key pieces of wreckage from the Bell 206 LongRanger, which crumbled midair and plunged upside-down into the water on 10 April.
Agustin Escobar, 49, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, global commercialization manager at Siemens Energy, and their children Agustín, 10, Mercè, 8 and Víctor, 4, all perished in the accident. The helicopter pilot was named on Friday as Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran.
Separately, a family of six was killed last weekend when their plane crashed near Copake, New York, while traveling to the Catskills for a birthday and Passover celebration.
The twin-engine plane they were traveling in crashed into a muddy field just ten miles from their destination, killing two young couples and their parents, Dr. Michael Groff and Dr. Joy Saini — each celebrated surgeons.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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