U.S. State Department Says Third American Killed in Germanwings Plane Crash

The U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday that a third American was aboard the Germanwings flight that crashed into a French mountainside this week, killing all 150 passengers and crew on board.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confimed to reporters that a mother and daughter from Virginia, Yvonne and Emily Selke, were killed in the crash along with a third American who has yet to be identified to the public.

French officials confirmed that the Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 crashed around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday morning shortly after losing contact with air traffic control. The plane had reportedly been losing altitude for eight minutes before it crashed into the craggy side of a steep, remote area of the French Alps near a popular ski resort and the Seyne-les-Alpes village.

The Selke family from Nokesville, Virginia has released a statement mourning the loss of Yvonne, a U.S. contractor, and her daughter Emily, a college graduate.

"Our entire family is deeply saddened by the losses of Yvonne and Emily Selke," the family said in the statement, as reported by NBC News. "Two wonderful, caring, amazing people who meant so much to so many. At this difficult time we respectfully ask for privacy and your prayers."

French officials have confirmed that the plane contained passengers from as many as 15 different nationalities, including Morrocco, Germany, France, Spain and Australia, among others. The plan was traveling from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany when it crashed Tuesday morning.

Investigators are now focusing on the recovery of one of the plane's black boxes. French officials have indicated that they need at least 48 hours to analyze the box's recordings, which will likely point to the cause of the plane's crash.