Douglas DC-4 plane crashes in Alaska, officials say

A Douglas DC-4 airplane carrying two people crashed Tuesday in the Alaska city of Fairbanks, authorities said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that a Douglas C-54, which is a model of the Douglas DC-4, was carrying two people when it crashed southwest of Fairbanks International Airport at about 10 a.m. local time (2 p.m., ET).

The aircraft went down in the area of the Tanana River, Alaska State Troopers said in a news release. Multiple agencies were responding and the public was asked to avoid the area.

The circumstances of the crash were not immediately known. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, the FAA said.

In a statement provided to CBS News, a spokesperson for Fairbanks International Airport acknowledged “the ongoing situation involving the Douglas DC-4 aircraft crash on the Tanana River near Kallenberg Road,” which is located about 15 miles southwest of the airport.

The spokesperson said the airport was “actively cooperating” with law enforcement.

The Douglas DC-4 was first manufactured in the late 1930s as a military aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network, and can carry several dozen passengers.

This is a developing story and will be updated.