A plane crashes into the Nebraska River, killing all the passengers on board

Authorities say a tiny plane crashed into a Nebraska river on Friday night, killing all three occupants.

According to a statement from the Dodge County Sheriff's Office, the plane fell into the Platte River south of Fremont, which is roughly 40 miles northwest of Omaha. The corpses of three aircraft passengers were discovered but have not yet been officially identified, according to the sheriff's office.

"The three occupants of the plane have been recovered and are confirmed deceased. Those identities will not be released at this time pending next of kin notification," the Dodge County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

During a news conference, Sgt. Brie Frank of the Dodge County Sheriff's Office stated that the single-engine Cessna 180 crashed into the Platte River south of Fremont about 8:15 p.m.

Frank verified that three people's bodies had been retrieved.  The identities of the victims were not immediately released by authorities.

The inquiry has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to officials.

According to Jennifer Gabris, an NTSB representative, an investigator is anticipated to arrive at the scene this afternoon.

“Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft,” she said. "The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation."

She went on to say that during the on-scene phase of the investigation, "the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident" and that a preliminary report with further information will be ready within 30 days.

The crash follows a string of similar airline and helicopter accidents in recent weeks.

Last month, a single-engine airplane crashed into a home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, killing the only person on board and starting a fire.

On April 10, a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City, killing the pilot and his family of five. The next day, another tiny plane crashed in Boca Raton, Florida, killing all three people on board.

On April 12, a private jet crashed while preparing for a second landing attempt in New York's Columbia County, killing all occupants.