Former Sen. Ted Stevens among five dead in Alaskan plane crash

Four other people were also killed in the plane crash, which is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Rescue planes were unable to reach the site for hours because of poor weather. 

Stevens, who lost his Senate seat in 2008 after a controversial court battle, had already survived prostate cancer as well as a 1978 plane crash in Anchorage that killed his first wife, Ann. 

{mosads}Senate sources have told The Hill that flags over the Capitol will be at half-mast on Wednesday. 

In a statement, Stevens’s family called the former senator a patriot and pioneer for Alaska. 

“Alaska and the nation he so loved, have lost a great man,” the family said in the statement. “He was a guiding light through Statehood and the development of the 49th State. Now that light is gone but the warmth and radiance of his life and his work will shine forever in the last frontier. His legacy is the 49th star on the American flag.” 

Former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, the CEO of European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) North America, and O’Keefe’s son Kevin were also on the plane but survived, according to a statement released late Tuesday afternoon by the company. 

“We owe a debt of gratitude for the heroic efforts of the members of the rescue crew and others who rushed to the scene,” Guy Hicks, vice president of communications for EADS North America, said in a statement. “We look forward to Sean’s full recovery and rapid return to EADS North America.”

Besides Stevens, among those killed in the crash were his former chief of staff, Bill Phillips; Dana Tindall, a 48-year-old vice president for the Alaska telecommunications company GCI; Tindall’s daughter Corey, 16; and the pilot, Terry Smith, 62, according to several sources with knowledge of the recovery effort and reports in the Anchorage Daily News and other outlets citing Alaska state troopers.

Among the four survivors were also James Morhard, a former chief of staff for Stevens on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Phillips’s son Willy, 13, according to sources and media reports.

Stevens was reportedly traveling to a lodge owned by GCI. 

Stevens served in the Senate from 1968 to 2009, rising to become the longest-serving Republican in 2008. He narrowly lost a re-election race that year amid corruption charges that were later dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct. 

From 2003 to 2007, Stevens was third in line to the presidency as president pro tempore of the Senate. He had served in the Far East as an Air Force pilot from 1944 to 1946, and was decorated for his service with a Distinguished Flying Cross medal. After World War II, he served as a U.S. attorney in Fairbanks and became an official in President Eisenhower’s Interior Department. 

He is credited with successfully lobbying for Alaska’s statehood in 1959, and was appointed to the Senate in 1968. He won his first full term in 1972. 

At the apex of his career, Stevens was considered one of the most powerful politicians on Capitol Hill and was known for his fierce devotion to securing federal funds for Alaska. 

He relished the adversarial nature of Congress and was known to sport his Incredible Hulk tie amid tough legislative battles. 

News of his death brought tributes from both parties and both houses of Congress, as well as from the president. 

“Sen, Ted Stevens devoted his career to serving the people of Alaska and fighting for our men and women in uniform,” President Obama said.

Stevens’ best friend in the Senate, Democrat Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, said he “lost a brother.” 

“Our friendship was a very special one,” Inouye said in a statement. “Senator Stevens and I worked together to ensure that the small non-contiguous states of Hawaii and Alaska were not forgotten by the lower 48 and to ensure that the nation awoke to the importance of the Pacific for our economy and international relations. I will never forget him.” 

Stevens’ House colleague, Rep. Don Young (R), issued a statement calling the death “an absolute tragedy for Alaska and for its people.” 

“He’s been my mentor, first in the State Legislature, and then as our Senior Senator and I will miss him a great deal,” Young said. 

Stevens’ Senate colleague, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, also said Alaska “lost a hero” with Stevens’ passing. Murkowski, who is facing a primary challenge, suspended her political activity after learning the news. 

“His entire life was dedicated to public service—from his days as a pilot in World War II to his four decades of service in the United States Senate. He truly was the greatest of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ “ Murkowski said in a statement. 

Former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin posted a tribute on her Facebook page. 

“In 40 years of service in the U.S. Senate, he fought tenaciously for Alaska’s future,” Palin wrote. “Alaskans know how much we owe to Senator Stevens, but all Americans owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership on many issues, including the crucial energy issues that fuel American prosperity.” 

Palin’s ticket-mate in 2008, GOP Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), said Stevens’ legacy “will be his work on behalf of his beloved Alaska as its long serving United States Senator and his deep love for his family, his staff and his home state.” 

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) issued a statement that called Stevens “a force to be reckoned with” in the Senate. 

“In the history of our country, no one man has done more for one state than Ted Stevens. His commitment to the people of Alaska and his nation spanned decades, and he left a lasting mark on both,” McConnell said. 

The man who beat Stevens in 2008, Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, issued a statement calling Stevens “a true pioneer” for Alaska. 

“Sen. Stevens’ many contributions to Alaska are enormous and his legacy of fierce devotion to Alaska will be long-lasting,” Begich said. 

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) issued his own tribute, saying he “served with Ted for many years and I know how beloved he was by the people of Alaska.” 

This post was updated at 9:42 p.m.