All eight people aboard a chartered aircraft were killed after the plane crashed near a remote United States Air Force radar facility in western Alaska on Thursday.
The Cessna 441 aircraft had departed Anchorage and was travelling to Cape Newenham, about 450 miles southwest of the city, when it crashed near its destination at approximately 12:15 p.m., according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The charter flight was operated by Security Aviation and had two pilots and six passengers on board, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, said.
Military officials said the aircraft was operating under a civilian contract and was transporting eight personnel. Search-and-rescue teams later reached the crash site and confirmed that none of the occupants survived.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, said two of its employees were among those killed in the crash.
The aircraft went down at Cape Newenham Airport, a remote Air Force airstrip that serves the Long Range Radar Site. The radar installation plays a key role in monitoring aircraft operating within Alaskan airspace.
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board and other relevant agencies have begun an investigation, while military officials said further information, including the identities of the victims, would be released after their families have been notified.
Alaskan Command chief, Lieutenant General Robert Davis, described the crash as a devastating loss.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Davis said.
