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
Cessna Plane Crashes Near Remote Alaska Radar Site, Killing All Onboard A Cessna 441 Conquest II operated by Security Aviation crashed near a remote military radar site in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board, federal aviation and military officials confirmed. The accident occurred around 12:15 p.m. Thursday as the plane attempted to land at Cape Newenham Airport, a military airstrip serving a Long Range Radar Site. Search and rescue crews confirmed there were no survivors, with the wreckage located about a third of a mile west of the runway. The charter flight, which departed Anchorage and was en route to Cape Newenham, carried two pilots, two members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and four contractors. According to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, preliminary investigations indicated the pilots made at least one attempt to land but were unable to do so due to poor visibility. The plane then circled and attempted a second landing, during which the crash occurred. The crash site is situated on a gravel runway nearly 4,000 feet long, located on the slope of a mountain over 2,300 feet high. The FAA maps note high terrain on both sides of the runway and at its south end, which could complicate landing attempts. The National Weather Service reported foggy conditions at the landing strip around the time of the crash, with visibility dropping below 800 feet just before noon. Pilots relied solely on instruments, including GPS, for navigation due to the poor weather. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane after the pilots aborted their first landing attempt. Controllers were later informed the aircraft did not reach the airport.#alaska #national_transportation_safety_board #cessna_441_conquest_ii #security_aviation #cape_newenham_airport
