All eight people aboard a twin-engine charter aircraft were killed Thursday when the plane crashed near a remote military radar site in Western Alaska. The flight, operated by Security Aviation and chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, went down approximately 450 miles west of Anchorage.
A charter flight turned catastrophic on Thursday afternoon when a Cessna aircraft operated by Security Aviation went down near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, roughly 450 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska's News Source. The aircraft had departed from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was bound for the remote cape along the Bering Sea.
Air traffic controllers in Anchorage triggered an alert after the plane failed to reach its destination. Military officials overseeing the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson subsequently opened a search and rescue mission. Search teams landed near the crash site and confirmed that no one survived the impact.
Military Confirmation and Casualties at Cape Newenham
The U.S. military confirmed that two pilots and six passengers were on board the twin-engine aircraft. Among the passengers were two employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which had chartered the flight to the isolated radar installation. The Cape Newenham facility is part of a defense network managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center to track aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders.
Military leadership expressed deep mourning over the tragedy.
Lt. Gen. Robert Davis added that the passengers were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment
. The military stated that the names of the victims will be released 24 hours after their next of kin are formally notified.
Investigation and Interagency Emergency Response
Recovery efforts and investigations began almost immediately following the Federal Aviation Administration alert. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA launched an inquiry into the cause of the crash. Millicent Hill, an NTSB investigator, noted that the plane went down west of the Cape Newenham airport around 12:15 p.m.
Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, coordinated closely with multiple responding agencies. Ground and air responders converged on the rugged site.
- Alaska State Troopers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated that it is coordinating closely with the appropriate local, state, and federal authorities
while pledging to release further details as appropriate.
State Leadership Reacts to Aviation Tragedy
Elected officials offered swift condolences as news of the disaster spread across the state.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski shared a personal connection to the airline in her public remarks.
Murkowski noted that she has traveled extensively with Security Aviation in the past. Representative Nick Begich also issued a statement joining Alaskans in offering prayers for everyone affected by the crash.
As federal investigators sift through wreckage at the remote radar site, authorities have cautioned that additional findings will emerge as the formal NTSB and FAA inquiries progress.
