The plane, a Douglas DC-4, smashed into the Tanana River near to the Fairbanks International Airport at around 10.40am local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Independent.

But as Douglas developed its first four-engine civilian transport, the DC-4E, it also began developing a 16-22 passenger ...

The lifespan of Douglas’ last major piston engine-powered transport was cut short by the advent of the jet age.