2 dead, 3 hurt in small airplane crash in rural Alaska

Two people were killed and three others seriously injured when a small plane crashed shortly after taking off from a rural Alaska community over the weekend, officials said.

Five people were on board the plane operated by Vertigo Air Taxi when it went down Sunday afternoon about five kilometres north of Old Harbor, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Old Harbor is on the southeast coast of Kodiak Island, 113 kilometres southwest of the city of Kodiak.

The plane took off from Old Harbor and was bound for Kodiak when it crashed in hilly terrain, said Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska region. The agency is investigating the crash, and a National Transportation Safety Board representative arrived in Kodiak on Monday.

The names of those on board were not immediately released. Two of the people had serious injuries and the third was in critical condition, Johnson said.

Vertigo Air Taxi on its website says it provides "an air taxi service to anywhere in Alaska and wilderness adventures in Kodiak and the surrounding areas."

In a statement, the company said the flight Sunday was a charter.

"We are heartbroken and devastated. We are working closely with the NTSB and other agencies. We ask for prayers and thoughts for all families involved as we navigate this tragedy," the statement released Monday said.