Eight Die When a Chartered Plane Crashes at a Western Alaska Radar Site

All eight people aboard a chartered Cessna 441 died Thursday when the plane crashed near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site in western Alaska, according to KTUU and the Associated Press. The twin-engine aircraft had left Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for the remote site, about 450 miles west of Anchorage, the FAA said. The NTSB’s Johnson said the wreckage was about a quarter mile west of the runway.

Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region, said two pilots and six passengers were aboard, AP and AvWeb reported. The flight was operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation and chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Corps confirmed two of its employees were among the occupants, according to AvWeb. Sen. Lisa Murkowski identified the operator, AP reported.

KTUU reported that the airplane had made a missed approach in instrument conditions before air traffic controllers in Anchorage lost contact with it, and that the wreckage was found later in the day. Investigators have not said what caused the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation, KTUU reported.

Alaska Air National Guard crews and other responders reached the site, and military personnel confirmed there were no survivors, according to KTUU and AP. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the search and rescue mission, and Murkowski thanked the Coast Guard, the NTSB, Alaska State Troopers and the coordination center, AP reported.

The Cape Newenham site is part of a network of remote radar installations that monitor aircraft in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, AvWeb reported. The Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center manages it, according to AP. The military statement on the crash did not describe the work the passengers and crew had been doing.

Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, called the crash “a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve.” Murkowski said, “Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.” Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the situation “a tragedy,” according to KTUU.

Names of the victims had not been released Thursday night. NORAD said, according to KTUU, that names would be released 24 hours after next-of-kin notifications are complete.