Cause Of GlaStar Downing Hasn't Been Determined

All three people onboard a Stoddard Hamilton SH-4 GlaStar floatplane were killed when their plane crashed in Alaska on Saturday.

The Anchorage Daily News reports the first report of the accident came in just after 11 am local time Saturday. The aircraft went down near Kustatan, a small community on the west side of Cook Inlet, reportedly catching fire on impact.

Authorities identified the plane's pilot as 60-year-old Thomas Iverson. As of Monday evening, Alaska troopers had not released the names of the two passengers onboard the aircraft (type shown above, right.)

So far, there's no official word on what may have caused the plane to crash... though it's notable registry information lists the accident SH-4, built in 1997, as a two-place aircraft.

"I don't know what the cause is. I've heard a couple different theories but it's still under investigation," said state troopers spokesman Megan Peters.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 212DR        Make/Model: EXP       Description: STODDARD HAMILTON SH04
  Date: 07/12/2008     Time: 1910

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: TYONEK   State: AK   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD
  WERE FATALLY INJURED, NEAR TYONEK, AK

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR PALV 121850Z 00000KT 40SM OVC060 13/11 A3010

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: ANCHORAGE, AK  (AL03)                 Entry date: 07/14/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov