Key takeaways:
- All eight people aboard the charter aircraft — two pilots and six passengers — were killed in the crash at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport.
- The aircraft had taken off from Anchorage and was believed to have crashed while approaching Cape Newenham, about 450 miles west of Anchorage.
- The FAA identified the plane as a Cessna 441 and said the NTSB will lead the crash investigation, with FAA assistance.
A charter aircraft crashed Thursday at a remote radar site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board, the U.S. military said.
The crash happened at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, about 450 miles west of Anchorage, after the plane had taken off from Anchorage and was approaching Cape Newenham, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief. Johnson said two pilots and six passengers were on board.
Search and rescue teams landed near the crash site and later confirmed there were no survivors, the military said. The names of those killed will be released 24 hours after their next of kin are notified.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said in a statement.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Davis said. “Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends, and teammates during this devastating time. We are profoundly grateful for the swift and tireless response of our search and recovery professionals.”
The military statement referred to the plane as a “civilian-contracted aircraft” but did not say what specific work the people aboard were doing. CBS News, citing KTUU-TV, reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said two of its employees were among those killed and that the corps said it had chartered the plane. CBS News reported it had contacted the corps about the discrepancy between that statement and the military’s description of the aircraft.
Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site is part of a network of remote radar sites used to track aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, according to Alaskan Command. The site is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Cessna 441 and that it crashed at 12:15 p.m. local time, according to CBS News. The twin-engine Cessna was operated by Anchorage-based air charter company Security Aviation, Johnson said, according to KTUU-TV.
The NTSB will lead the investigation into the crash, with the FAA assisting, CBS News reported, citing the FAA.
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