Alaska plane that crashed, killing 10, was half a ton overweight for icy conditions, NTSB says

A commuter plane that crashed on sea ice off Alaska, killing all 10 people on board, was half a ton overweight for a trip into icy conditions, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Wednesday.

Citing the Cessna operator's log for the flight, the NTSB said in the report that baggage and cargo collectively weighed about 709 pounds, contributing to the small plane's overall takeoff weight of about 9,776 pounds. The overall weight was roughly 969 pounds over the maximum takeoff gross weight for a flight into areas where forecasters expect icing conditions, and roughly 714 pounds over the maximum weight for any flight, according to the report.

The weight is just a "data point" in the ongoing investigation, cautioned Clint Johnson, who leads the NTSB's Alaska region. A final report including probable causes can take a year or more after a crash.