Eight people were killed when a charter aircraft crashed near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site in western Alaska, a remote military airstrip that supports the U.S. air‑space surveillance network. The loss of all aboard highlights a sudden personnel gap at a critical defense installation.
The aircraft, a Cessna 441, was reported as being operated by Anchorage‑based Security Aviation, though another source described it only as a civilian‑contracted plane. It departed Anchorage International Airport and was on a scheduled approach to Cape Newenham LRRS Airport at about 12:15 p.m. local time (2015 GMT) on Thursday, when it went down.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, expressed condolences and pledged unwavering support to the families and teammates of the deceased, describing them as dedicated professionals on a vital mission. The incident does not appear to have caused an immediate interruption to the radar site’s monitoring duties, but recovery and investigation efforts are now underway.
One source names Security Aviation as the charter operator, while another refers only to a civilian‑contracted aircraft without naming the carrier; all three accounts agree that eight occupants – two pilots and six passengers – were on board.