Nine people aboard a cruise excursion plane that crashed in southern Alaska Thursday were killed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The Alaska Division of State Troopers said the plane was reported missing about 2:06 p.m. (6:06 p.m. ET) and was spotted less than an hour later by a helicopter crew. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, told NBC News that the DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter single-engine prop plane crashed under unknown circumstances. The Holland America Line said in a statement that the plane, operated by Promech Air, a Ketchikan-based sightseeing company, was running a shore excursion for eight passengers from the MS Westerdam, which set sail from Seattle on June 20.
