NTSB Confirms Charter Plane Crashed During Second Landing Attempt, Killing All Eight Onboard A charter plane operated by Security Aviation crashed during its second attempt to land at a military radar site in Southwest Alaska on Thursday, August 20, killing all eight people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Alaska Region Chief Clint Johnson confirmed the incident, stating the Cessna 441 Conquest was en route from Anchorage to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site when it crashed. The aircraft, owned and operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation, was carrying two pilots and six passengers. Johnson noted the plane was navigating solely by instruments due to poor weather conditions, which prevented visual contact with the ground. The crash occurred approximately 11:45 a.m., roughly a quarter-mile west of the runway, following a second missed approach. Johnson explained that Anchorage Center, the air traffic control facility, lost contact with the aircraft after the second attempt. A post-crash fire consumed the wreckage, which was found in an area of rising terrain. The NTSB will review radar data from the Cape Newenham site, which is part of a network of remote radar stations tracking aircraft in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders. The flight, chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was intended to transport two Corps employees and four contractors. The military stated that the names of the victims will be released 24 hours after notifying next of kin. Weather conditions on the day of the crash included dense fog in the early morning and late evening, with clear skies and winds up to 15 mph around noon, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Christian Landry. Security Aviation, an approved carrier for the Army Corps and certified by the U.S.#ntsb #security_aviation #clint_johnson #cape_newenham #us_army_corps_of_engineers
