Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.

The pilot had made radio contact about the in-fight emergency shortly after taking off Tuesday, said Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska regional office. They were attempting to return to Fairbanks International Airport when they lost contact, he said.

The plane crashed about 7 miles (11 kilometers) outside Fairbanks, hitting a steep hill and sliding down an embankment to the bank of the Tanana River, bursting into flames. Alaska State Troopers say no survivors were found.

Troopers said recovery efforts would resume Wednesday with the aid of dogs, but noted thin ice and open water on the river were making their efforts difficult. The pilots’ names have not been released.