A small plane crashed at a remote US Air Force site in Alaska, killing all eight people on board, according to the US military. The twin-engine Cessna 441, chartered by the US Army Corps of Engineers, was making its second landing attempt in heavy fog when it lost contact on Thursday (US time), authorities said in a press briefing.
The aircraft was scheduled to land at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport after taking off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
As per the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the plane was operated by Anchorage-based air charter company Security Aviation.
Victims of the Alaska plane crash identified
Addressing a virtual news conference, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, said that two pilots and six passengers were on board. Among those killed in the plane tragedy, two were employees of the US Army Corps of Engineers, according to an official statement released by the engineering branch of the United States Army.
Two of the contractors who lost their lives on Thursday were employees of Calista Brice, a collection of companies performing construction, logistics, engineering and other work in remote areas, the Associated Press reported.
In a separate statement, US Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defence Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said the people on the plane were “dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment.”
Meanwhile, the US Army Corps of Engineers said that two of their employees who died this week were part of a “project delivery team en route to a project site in support of the US Air Force.”
Video of NTSB Alaska Regional Office Chief Clint Johnson’s media briefing in Anchorage Friday on the investigation into Thursday’s crash of a Cessna 441 airplane near Cape Newenham, Alaska: https://t.co/UoJ6ILwpHh— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 21, 2026
Officials did not provide further details about the project or the work being performed at the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, which was built in the 1950s as part of a network designed to sound early warning alarms of a missile attack by the Soviet Union. Its present-day operations have transitioned to monitoring the skies off the coast in the direction of Russia, North Korea and China.
What happened during the flight’s final moments?
During a virtual news conference on Friday, National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief Clint Johnson pointed out that the Cessna plane’s two pilots couldn’t see the gravel airstrip amid heavy fog conditions and were flying solely at the disposal of instruments when tragedy struck.
Given the runway’s location in Alaska, surrounded by mountains on three sides, the FAA urges pilots to use GPS and other instruments at their disposal to land there.
Shedding further light on what could have transpired moments before the crash, Johnson said that regulations pushed the pilots to abort their first landing attempt due to lack of visibility. Ultimately, the jet crashed on its second attempt when it was about one-third of a mile (0.5 kilometres) from the runway.
According to Carrie Haisley, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s Alaska sector operations centre, an automated observation system in the vicinity of the airport reported a low cloud ceiling, fog and visibility of about 10 miles (16 kms) minutes before the crash, the Associated Press reported.
After landing near the crash site, rescuers “confirmed there were no survivors,” according to the FAA and NTSB, who will investigate the incident.
A Cessna 441 crashed west of Cape Newenham LRRS Airport in Alaska around 12:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 20. Eight people were on board. The plane departed from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was headed to Cape Newenham. The FAA and National…— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) August 21, 2026
Reacting to the accident, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski posted on social media Thursday night.
“I join Alaskans in offering condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham,” she wrote. “I’ve travelled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots. I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site. Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.”