All nine people aboard a sightseeing plane died when it crashed on Thursday. The plane had been missing since Thursday afternoon and was found in southeast Alaska, according to The Associated Press.

Eight Holland America Line cruise ship passengers and the pilot were confirmed dead by Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska office, according to Fox News. Weather is preventing the recovery of bodies, but Johnson said attempts will resume on Friday.

The DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter turbopop crashed into the face of a cliff about 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan under unknown circumstances above Ella Lake, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in an email to The Associated Press.

The plane was reported missing around 2:15 p.m. local time, Coast Guard Petty Officer Lauren Steenson said, according to Fox News. The plane's emergency locator transmitter was activated in the Misty Fjords National Monument. The plane's wreckage was spotted by a helicopter piolet.

"We are incredibly distressed by this situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with those onboard the plane and their families," a statement from Promech Air, the airline based in Ketchikan, said. "Holland America Line is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved."

The Ketchikan Daily News reported that the Westerdam cruise ship that had been scheduled to leave the city about 20 miles from the crash site at 1 p.m., remained in port, according to Fox News.