Eight people have died after a charter aircraft crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday.
The Cessna 441 plane crashed near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, roughly 450 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska, killing everyone on board, according to the military. The crash took place at around 12:15 p.m. local time and it is not yet clear what mission this aircraft was serving when it crashed.
“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said in a statement.
The people on board were two pilots who flew the plane with six passengers aboard, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief.
Military charter aircraft are civilian planes the Army rents to transport troops, equipment and supplies globally when standard military fleets cannot handle the operational demand.
The plane had taken off from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was headed to Cape Newenham, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. But it failed to reach its destination, which is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.
Remote radar sites act are located on the outer geographical edges of a country or operational zone. Militaries use these sites to build an uninterrupted, real-time picture of the airspace and sea lanes before a potential threat can reach a military base.
“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” Davis added. “Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends, and teammates during this devastating time. We are profoundly grateful for the swift and tireless response of our search and recovery professionals.”
Another Helicopter Crash
The crash follows another recent incident in which an AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed Aug. 12 in Salado, Texas, roughly 30 miles south-east of Fort Hood army base, according to the U.S. Army Fort Hood Media Center.
The crash caused the death of the two pilots on board, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Omstead, 25, both assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
As a result of the crash, the Army temporarily paused AH-64 Apache training operations. It resumed them this past Wednesday, “after a thorough review of safety procedures and flight operations.”
The military has not yet released the names of those on board the charter flight and will not do so until their next of kin are notified.
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