Civil Air Patrol authorities have identified the person killed when a small plane crashed into a pair of down town Anchorage buildings early Tuesday.
CAP also said the flight was not sanctioned by the agency.
In a statement, the Civil Air Patrol said 1st Lt. Doug Demarest was the person killed in the crash of the Cessna 172S.
“The pilot was not authorized to fly the aircraft,” CAP officials wrote. “He joined CAP in 2010.”
CAP spokeswoman Julie DeBardelaben wouldn’t say whether Demarest was the pilot of the aircraft, or how many people were on board. “All that's still under investigation now,” DeBardelaben said.
The small plane hit two buildings in downtown Anchorage early Tuesday morning killing one occupant of the plane and sparking a fire.
Though officials say they have no reason to believe the crash is related to terrorism, the FBI is assisting in the investigation.
"Some evidence warrant us bringing them into the investigation," National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Region Chief Clint Johnson said. He declined to elaborate further.
Anchorage police said they first received reports that a small plane crashed into the Brady Building, a office building on West Fourth Avenue, at 6:19 a.m. Tuesday.
Anchorage police spokeswoman Anita Shell said the plane was reported to be fully engulfed in flames within minutes. By 6:53, Anchorage Fire Department officials said the fire was extinguished and firefighters were working to control smoke in buildings.
The scene of the crash is near a very popular local cafe' where many locals and tourists gather for breakfast. We're very blessed to have no other injuries.
p.s. A heartfelt "thank you!" to several who e-mailed privately to make sure we're okay.
