Alaska plane crash: Two sightseeing aircraft in deadly mid-air collision off US coast, with cruise passengers on board

Passengers were from ‘Royal Princess’ cruise ship, which had sailed from Vancouver

It was not immediately clear whether the two aircraft were involved in a single crash (AP)

Two planes have crashed in mid-air over southern Alaska, killing at least four, injuring 10 and leaving two missing.

The sightseeing planes, one carrying 11 passengers and crew, the other five, went down over water about 25-30 miles northeast of Ketchikan, coast guard officer Jon-Paul Rios said.

The crash site was in the vicinity of a popular tourist lodge that runs excursions to the nearby Misty Fjords National Monument.

The passengers were from the cruise ship Royal Princess and were on sightseeing flights, one of which was operated by Taquan Air.

Local emergency responders worked with state and federal agencies and private vessels to help rescue and recover victims.

Ten people were taken to hospital and were said to be in fair to good condition, according to Marty West, a spokesperson for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.

“It’s been a long day and the crews have been working really hard to rescue people and recover the deceased,” Deanna Thomas, a spokesperson for the Ketchikan local government, said on Monday evening.

Neither of the single-engine planes was under air traffic control when they collided, and the circumstances of the crash were not immediately known, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Allen Kenitzer said.

Taquan Air said the company suspended operations while the crash is investigated.

“We are devastated by today’s incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families,” Taquan said in a statement.

The Royal Princess cruise ship left Vancouver, British Columbia, on 11 May and was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday.

“All of us at Princess Cruises are deeply saddened by this tragic news and we are extending our full support to the investigating authorities as well as the travelling companions of the guests involved,” the cruise ship company said in a statement.

Cindy Cicchetti, a passenger on the Royal Princess cruise ship told the Associated Press the ship’s captain announced the two planes were in an accident.

She said the ship was not leaving as scheduled and no details were given as to how the accident would affect the rest of the trip.

Additional reporting by agencies