The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-chartered flight went down near a remote military radar site after departing Anchorage.
JUNEAU, AK — Eight people were killed when a small charter plane crashed near a remote military radar site in western Alaska after departing Anchorage, U.S. military and federal officials said.
The aircraft was carrying two pilots and six passengers when it crashed Thursday near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, about 450 miles west of Anchorage. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it had chartered the flight and confirmed Friday that two of its employees were among those who died. The identities of those aboard had not been publicly released in the initial reports.
The twin-engine Cessna 441 had taken off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was scheduled to land at Cape Newenham, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating, with federal investigators expected to examine the aircraft, flight information, weather and other evidence before determining what happened.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ Alaska District said the plane was traveling to Cape Newenham when it crashed. The agency said the families of its two employees had been notified and that it was coordinating with local, state and federal authorities. Officials did not immediately release details about the work the employees were scheduled to perform at the site or identify the other passengers and pilots.
Cape Newenham is a private military facility in a remote section of western Alaska. Its long-range radar installation is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center and is part of a network used to track aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders. The location’s isolation means aircraft are an important means of transporting workers and supplies to the facility.
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 deaths a devastating loss. He described the people aboard as dedicated professionals carrying out an important mission in a demanding environment and said support for their families, friends and colleagues was the military’s priority.
The crash followed a search-and-rescue response involving agencies that included the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a public statement that the flight was operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation and thanked the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers and Rescue Coordination Center for their response. Federal officials described the aircraft as a civilian-contracted plane.
Clint Johnson, chief of the NTSB’s Alaska region, initially confirmed Thursday that two pilots and six passengers were aboard. Early information indicated the aircraft went down as it approached the Cape Newenham area. Investigators cautioned that information gathered in the first hours after an aviation accident is preliminary and can change as evidence is collected.
The investigation was continuing Friday, and authorities had not announced a probable cause or provided findings about what led to the crash. The Army Corps of Engineers said additional information would be released when available and appropriate to share.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 21, 2026.