US Army Corps of Engineers chartered plane crashes near Alaska radar site, killing all 8 aboard

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A small plane chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers traveling to the site of a remote aircraft-tracking radar in western Alaska crashed near its destination, killing all eight people aboard, the U.S. military said.

The crash happened Thursday near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles (725 kilometers) west of Anchorage, Alaska.

The twin-engine Cessna 441 was scheduled to land there after taking off from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, said two pilots and six passengers were on board. No names were immediately released, but two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees were among the passengers, the Joint Base Elemdorf-Richardson, a military facility in Anchorage, said in a statement.

“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.

The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the crash. It happened in foggy weather, according to information compiled by a service that's part of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit.

The airport is a private military site. The radar site is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center. It’s part of a network of remote radar sites that tracks aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, the statement from Alaskan Command said.

The statement did not provide details on the specific work the individuals were doing. It referred to the plane involved as a “civilian-contracted aircraft.”

Davis described those on board as “dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment. 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.”

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska posted online that the flight was operated by Security Aviation, an airplane charter company based in Anchorage.

An email was sent to the company Friday morning seeking comment.

“I join Alaskans in offering condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham,” Murkowski posted Thursday night. “I’ve traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots. I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site. Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.”

In 1950, a continental defense radar station was built at Cape Newenham as part of the Distant Early Warning Line to warn of a Soviet attack during the Cold War, according to Coastview, a science education nonprofit that promotes understanding of the Alaska coast. Little remains of the former station today.

Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.