Charter plane crash at Alaska radar site leaves eight dead

A charter plane crash at a remote military radar site in western Alaska on Thursday has left all eight people on board dead, according to the United States military.

The aircraft crashed around 12:15 pm (2015 UTC) on approach to Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, located about 725 kilometers (450 miles) west of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, from where it had departed.

Six passengers and two pilots were aboard the plane during the incident, said Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Reports identified the plane as a Cessna 441 operated by Anchorage-based air charter company Security Aviation.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her condolences, following news of the crash.

"I've traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots," she said on X, naming the charter company that operates in the remote region.

She added that multiple agencies, including the US Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center had responded to the crash.

Air Force Alaskan Command mourns 'loss for our military family'

The Associated Press cited the US military's Alaskan Command as saying that the plane was a "civilian-contracted aircraft."

The passengers on board were "dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment," AP quoted Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, as saying in a statement.

The specifics of what work the crash victims were doing at the radar site — which tracks aircraft operating in Alaskan airspace — was not immediately clear from the Alaskan Command's statement.

"This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve," Davis said, according to AP.

The Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center manages the radar site.