Two men die in a plane crash near Aniak, Troopers say

Two men died when a small plane crashed after taking off from a moose camp near Aniak, Alaska State Troopers said.

Troopers identified the pilot as Nicholas Peters, 34, of Eagle River, and the passenger as John "Jack" Ervin, 50, of Missouri. Both were killed, and troopers said next of kin have been notified.

The crash was reported Tuesday afternoon. Troopers said they were working to reach the site but that poor weather was grounding flights.

The account is preliminary and comes from trooper dispatch, which does not say what caused the crash. Troopers have notified the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates civil aviation accidents and determines their cause.