A charter plane with eight people on board crashed Thursday near a remote radar station in western Alaska. Everyone on the plane died reports NBC, citing sources.
The Cessna 441 took off from Anchorage and was heading to the airfield serving the Cape Newenham radar station, located about 450 miles (about 724 km) west of Anchorage. During the Cold War, it was used to track a possible Soviet attack. According to preliminary data from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft crashed near its destination around 12:15 pm local time.
There were two pilots and six passengers on board, said Clint Johnson, head of the regional office of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The US Army Corps of Engineers in the Alaska District confirmed that two of the victims were members of the unit.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) spokesman Lt. Gen. Robert Davis called the Cessna a “civilian contract aircraft” and those on board “dedicated professionals carrying out a critical mission in a challenging environment.” What exact task the group was performing has not yet been clarified.
“These men were dedicated professionals carrying out a critical mission under challenging conditions. Our absolute priority now is to fully support their families, friends and colleagues during this difficult time. We are deeply grateful to the search and rescue teams for their prompt and tireless work,” said Davis.
According to CNN, the FAA and NTSB will investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Cape Newham Station is part of a network of remote radar sites designed to monitor air traffic over Alaska and along its borders. The station is operated by the Regional Support Center for the US Pacific Air Forces, NBC News clarifies.
Security Aviation's website notes that the Cessna Conquest aircraft are “ideally suited for flying in Alaska in difficult weather conditions and operating at difficult-to-reach airfields.” These twin-engine aircraft have a pressurized cabin, can carry up to nine passengers and have a cruising speed of about 330 mph (530 km/h) at altitudes of up to 28,000 feet (about 8.5 km).
