Eight killed in Alaska charter plane crash as fog downs flight bound for remote radar site
Alaska's bush-aviation corridor, long defined by narrow margins and abrupt weather, claimed eight lives Thursday when a twin-engine Cessna 441 charter flight went down in southwestern Alaska. The U.S. military confirmed Friday…
Key takeaways
- A twin-engine Cessna 441 charter flight crashed in southwestern Alaska on Thursday, killing all eight people aboard after the aircraft became ensnared in fog.
- Two of the victims were U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees on a mission from Anchorage to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site.
- Security Aviation was the charter operator, and the military said victims' names would be released 24 hours after their families were notified.
- Responding agencies included the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center.
- The crash follows a fatal 2024 Bering Air crash near Nome that killed all 10 aboard, which an NTSB report found was over 1,000 lbs above the maximum takeoff weight for icing conditions.
Alaska's bush-aviation corridor, long defined by narrow margins and abrupt weather, claimed eight lives Thursday when a twin-engine Cessna 441 charter flight went down in southwestern Alaska. The U.S. military confirmed Friday that two of the victims were employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on a mission from Anchorage to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site when the aircraft became ensnared in fog.
Cape Newenham is one of several remote radar installations that track aircraft operating across Alaska. The two Army Corps employees were working in support of that mission. Security Aviation was the charter operator. Their identities remained unreleased as of Friday; the military said names would be disclosed 24 hours after their families were notified.
Response and investigation
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, called the loss devastating for "our military family and the communities we serve." He described the victims as dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment. Davis said the command was grateful for the swift response of search and recovery personnel, and named unwavering support for bereaved families as the immediate priority.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said she joined Alaskans in offering condolences upon learning of the crash at Cape Newenham. Murkowski has traveled extensively with Security Aviation across Alaska and said she has met many of its experienced pilots. She credited the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for their response to the site.
The crash arrives against a backdrop of recent fatal aviation incidents in the state. Last year, a Bering Air flight bound for Nome went down off Alaska into sea ice, killing all 10 aboard. A subsequent NTSB report found that aircraft was more than 1,000 lbs over the maximum takeoff gross weight permitted for flight into known or forecast icing conditions.
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