MSNBC:
A plane believed to be carrying eight people crashed in southwest Alaska on Monday night, authorities said on Tuesday.
It was feared that former Sen. Ted Stevens was on board the flight, but officials have not been able to confirm that, local station KTUU TV reported. The Associated Press also cited an unnamed U.S. official as saying Stevens may have been on board.
Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes said the Guard was called to the area about 20 miles north of Dillingham at about 7 p.m. Monday after a passing aircraft saw the wreckage.
There were possible fatalities as well as survivors, Hayes said. "From what I'm told, there are survivors on this aircraft," he said according to the Anchorage Daily News. He added that he did not know how many fatalities there were.
Update: Reuters appears to confirm Stevens was on board:
(Reuters) - Former Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was aboard a plane that crashed in Alaska, and it was not immediately clear whether he survived, a congressional source said on Tuesday.
Half of those aboard the plane were killed in the crash and a doctor is apparently on the scene, though rescuers are having trouble reaching the site because of bad weather, the source said, declining to be further identified.
Update 2: Chuck Todd is saying NBC can confirm that former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe also was on board the aircraft.