Eight people were fatally injured Thursday when a Cessna 441 was involved in an accident near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport in western Alaska. According to preliminary information from the FAA, the airplane departed Anchorage and was en route to Cape Newenham when the accident occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. local time west of the airport. AP reported “foggy” weather in the area at the time of the accident.
Flight To Cape Newenham
The airplane was carrying two pilots and six passengers, according to Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region. The flight was operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation and had been chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Corps confirmed that two of its employees were among the occupants.
The Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site is part of a network of remote installations used to monitor aircraft operating in Alaska airspace and along the state’s borders.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis said in an Alaskan Command statement.
Investigation Underway
Following notification of the accident, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center initiated a search-and-rescue response. Military personnel who reached the accident site subsequently confirmed there were no survivors.
The NTSB is investigating the accident. Johnson said preliminary information indicated the airplane was approaching Cape Newenham at the time of the accident. No information regarding the circumstances leading to the accident has been released.
0 replies