Second plane crash at Iditarod sled race

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FLAT, Alaska, March 7 (UPI) -- A support plane in Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race flipped during takeoff, with no injuries to its pilot and passenger, officials said.

The plane, a Cessna 185, lost altitude during takeoff from a checkpoint on the race trail Wednesday after dropping off supplies. Pilot Diana Moroney, 57, and a passenger were not injured, although the plane crashed onto the frozen Iditarod River and was "severely damaged," a statement from the Alaska State Troopers said.

It was the second plane crash involving the race this year. Monday, three people died when a Cessna 182 crashed near Rainy Pass, Alaska, the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News reported Thursday.

In the race, four-time winner Lance Mackey, 42, led at the halfway point as the competitors arrived at the ghost town of Iditarod, the newspaper said.