Accident at US Air Force Base: Eight Dead in Alaska Plane Crash
A charter plane has crashed at a remote radar station in western Alaska, killing all eight people on board. The experts on board were apparently carrying out a mission there — the nature of which remains unclear.
Eight people have been killed in a plane crash at a US Air Force base in Alaska, according to the US military.
The civilly chartered aircraft went down at the airport of the remote radar station at Cape Newenham on the southwestern tip of the state. Rescue workers reported no survivors.
The commander of the US Army Alaska command, Robert Davis, described it as a "devastating loss," while also expressing gratitude for the efforts of the rescue personnel.
On a "Vital Mission"
The Cessna 441 had two pilots and six passengers on board. The aircraft had departed from Anchorage and is believed to have crashed on approach to Cape Newenham. The cause has yet to be determined.
Davis described those on board as "dedicated professionals who were fulfilling a vital mission in a demanding environment." However, the US Air Force did not disclose what assignment they were carrying out or what they were doing at the radar facility.
The installation at Cape Newenham is part of a network of remote radar stations that monitor aircraft in Alaska's airspace and along its borders.
