OPHIR -- An airplane with three people aboard crashed Wednesday afternoon near Ophir, a checkpoint on the Iditarod trail.

No one was injured, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane, a Cessna 185, made an unexpected landing about 5 miles west of Ophir, the FAA said.

The plane was not carrying anyone directly involved in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, but many people are flying in the area because of the race, said Chas St. George, an Iditarod spokesman.

St. George said the initial alert about the downed plane came from a Chinese airline.

Snowmachiners brought the crash victims back to Ophir and the Iditarod helped coordinate their return to Anchorage, St. George said.