U.S.: Americans on board plane that crashed into Alps

WASHINGTON -- Three Americans were presumed dead in the plane crash in the southern French Alps, including a U.S. government contractor and her daughter, the State Department said Wednesday.

Identified victims were Yvonne Selke of Nokesville, Virginia, an employee for 23 years at Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in Washington, and her daughter, Emily Selke, a recent graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia. The U.S. government did not identify the third American it said was on the plane.

Yvonne Selke performed work under contract with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's satellite mapping office, Booz Allen confirmed in a statement to CBS News.

"Every death is a tragedy, but seldom does a death affect us all so directly and unexpectedly," NGA Director Robert Cardillo said. "All of us offer our deepest condolences and will keep her family and her colleagues in our thoughts."

Booz Allen's chief personnel officer, Betty Thompson, described Selke as "a wonderful co-worker and a dedicated employee who spent her career with the firm."

Friends and co-workers of Selke's circulated a photograph of her showing a smiling, middle-aged woman with brown hair and eyeglasses, and a photo of Emily showing a blond young woman with dark eyes and a bright smile. They described Selke as a diligent and generous worker who regularly brought cookies to co-workers.

A person who answered the phone at Selke's home said the family was not providing any information.

Drexel University said in a statement that Emily Selke graduated with honors in 2013 and was a music industry major. Her sorority at Drexel, Gamma Sigma Sigma, said in a statement on its Facebook page with a photo of Emily that it was mourning her loss and said she "always put others before herself and cared deeply for all those in her life."

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. was reviewing records to determine whether any other U.S. citizens might have been on board the flight.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the 150 people on board," Psaki said.

Further details about Selke's work for the secretive Pentagon agency were not immediately available. Most information about Selke's assignment and contact information had already been removed Wednesday from Booz Allen's internal network.

A spokesman for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Timothy B. Taylor, said it was inappropriate for the agency to comment or confirm information about any contract employee.

The Germanwings A320 lost radio contact with air traffic controllers over the southern French Alps during a seemingly routine flight Tuesday from Barcelona, Spain, to Duesseldorf, Germany, before crashing, killing all 150 on board.

French officials said terrorism appeared unlikely, and Germany's top security official said Wednesday there was no evidence of foul play. French investigators were opening the jet's mangled black box they recovered, hoping the cockpit recordings inside would help them unlock the mystery of what caused the crash.