Alaska State Troopers are en route to the scene of a fatal plane crash discovered Tuesday night near the Susitna River in the area of Sleeping Lady. Members of the Rescue Coordination Center were on a training flight when they located a "blip," and soon after, the plane's "very bad wreckage," according to Megan Peters, public information officer for the Alaska State Troopers.

The crash was discovered between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., according to information early Wednesday morning from the RCC and AST.

Two people on board the small aircraft, described as a PA-11 by the RCC, were killed. They have not yet been identified.

The National Safety Transportation Board is standing by, and will take over once law enforcement completes its work at the crash site.

This is a developing story. Many details aren't available yet, including the origin and intended destination of the flight. We'll provides updates as they come in.

[Update-1, 8/25, 9:25 a.m. AKDT]: Plane badly burned

According to NTSB investigator Clint Johnson, fire destroyed much of the wreckage in Tuesday night's fatal plane crash, which has complicated obtaining the identification number on the plane and determining the identities of the two people who died.

Johnson didn't know whether rescuers located a signal from an emergency beacon while flying nearby, as reported by Alaska State Troopers, but did say the National Guard was flying in the area when it noticed smoke in the distance. Moving in closer to investigate, the crew discovered the wrecked plane engulfed flames, he said.

"This thing is completely burned," Johnson said.

He also said there is a report of a missing plane, but it's too early to know whether the crashed plane and the missing plane are the same aircraft.

Wednesday morning, personnel with Alaska State Troopers, the FAA and the NTSB were on their way to the crash.

The bodies were removed last night by a helicopter crew with the 210th rescue squadron, Johnson said.

[Update-2, 8/25, 4:40 p.m. AKDT]: NTSB returns from crash scene

The small plane that crashed and erupted in flames Tuesday night near the Susitna River appears to have hit the ground nose down, according to an investigator with the NTSB.

"The wreckage impact signatures are consistent with a vertical impact with the terrain," said NTSB investigator Josh Cawthra after returning from the scene.

Cawthra flew by helicopter early Wednesday morning to the crash site, located about 30 air miles north of Anchorage on a sand bar along the northern side of the river.

The Alaska Air National Guard discovered the fiery crash scene Tuesday night during a training mission near Big Lake after its crews first detected an emergency signal, then saw smoke about 10 miles away. Pilots and parajumpers with the 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons landed, brought the blaze under control and located the plane's two occupants, both deceased.

The bodies were recovered later the same evening and taken to a coroner in Anchorage.

Names of the victims have not been released, although Cawthra confirmed that the downed aircraft was one that had been reported missing that same night.

The FAA received a report just before 7 p.m. Tuesday of an overdue aircraft bound for Rainy Pass Lodge from Lake Hood described as a Piper PA11 -- the same model of small single-engine, two-seater plane found at the crash site.

Though much of the plane was destroyed, Cawthra was able to pull a serial number off of the engine. He also determined that all of the plane's major structural elements -- tail, wings, flight controls, rudder, elevator -- were also located at or near the crash site.

The NTSB's work at the crash site is done. The next step is to extract the wreckage and move it to a location where it can be studied more intensely. A preliminary report is expected to come out in about one week.

Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com.