Eight Killed in Charter Plane Crash at Remote Alaska Radar Site
A twin-engine Cessna chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crashed while approaching Cape Newenham radar station in western Alaska, killing all eight aboard.
A civilian-contracted Cessna 441 carrying eight people crashed on approach to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, about 450 miles west of Anchorage, on Thursday, the U.S. military said. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the accident occurred at 12:15 p.m. local time. The aircraft, operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation, had departed Anchorage earlier that day.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed that two of its employees were among the victims. The National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska region chief, Clint Johnson, identified the occupants as two pilots and six passengers.
"This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command and Eleventh Air Force.
The radar installation is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center and forms part of a network that monitors aircraft in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders. The statement from Alaskan Command did not specify the passengers' duties.
The NTSB will lead the investigation, with assistance from the FAA.