Petersburg Pilot -

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The rate of fatal airplane crashes in Alaska is higher than the national average, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB has preliminary reports for 10 fatal plane wrecks in Alaska for the 2019 calendar year. The figure does not include an Oct. 17 crash in Unalaska, which does not yet have a federal report, The Juneau Empire reported Sunday.

Alaska had nine fatal plane accidents last year, eight in 2017, 12 in 2016, and 11 in 2015, the newspaper reported.

The NTSB website indicates 5.4% of the 221 fatal crashes in the U.S. in 2016 — the mos...