UPDATE: Alaska State Troopers identify pilot killed in plane crash near Ketchikan

Alaska State Troopers have released the name of the pilot killed in a plane crash in Ketchikan.

AST says 68-year-old Michael Nash of Wrangell was the pilot and single occupant of his private PA-24 single-engine, wheeled, Comanche aircraft.

Nash was found deceased inside the aircraft at about 400 feet elevation.

The Coast Guard says that the missing plane has been located along with the sole passenger on the plane.

The wreck was located by the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, and the Alaska State Troopers are now coordinating the retrieval of the body and the wreckage.

The Alaska Volunteer Rescue Squad reported its location of the plane at 4:47 p.m. near Judy Hill, directly across the channel from the town Ketchikan and just south of the Ketchikan Airport, where it was expected to land.

The helicopter that was originally reported to have been dispatched to the scene never arrived, as the plane had already been located.

The search is on for a plane near Ketchikan that was reported as overdue at 3:04 p.m.

The Coast Guard sent out two small boats to the area, near Blank Inlet on Gravina Island, as well as a helicopter. The small boats were on the scene by 4:30 p.m. and the helicopter arrived around 5:15 p.m.

The Coast Guard says that currently the status of the operation is “searching for overdue aircraft,” but the last known communication occurred at 2:30 p.m. according to what the Coast Guard received from Ketchikan Flight Services.

The Coast Guard says the weather at the time included clouds, 13 mph winds, and light rain. The visibility was nine miles and the temperature was 62 degrees.

There have been three previous plane crashes Southeast Alaska since May.

This is a developing story and more information will be posted as it becomes available.