A charter plane crash in western Alaska has claimed the lives of all eight people on board, marking one of the state’s deadliest aviation incidents this year.
The two-engine Cessna 441 airplane accident occurred at the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport in the vicinity of Anchorage about 450 miles west of Anchorage on Thursday afternoon, August 20, not long after taking off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
The NTSB and FAA are currently investigating the exact cause of the Alaska plane crash, with possible factors including weather conditions, mechanical failure, and pilot error.
The tragedy claimed the lives of two pilots and six passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief confirmed that among passengers, two were employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There are no survivors of the incident.
The military described the plane as a “civilian-contracted aircraft” carrying out a “vital mission in a demanding environment.”
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis called it “a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve.”
