A charter plane carrying 8 people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing everyone on board. Two employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were among those killed. The plane, operated by Security Aviation, was chartered to transport personnel to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles west of Anchorage. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the crash, which occurred at 12:15 p.m. local time on Thursday.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A charter plane carrying 8 people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska, killing all on board. The plane, operated by Security Aviation, took off from Anchorage and was headed to Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport when it crashed around 12:15 pm local time. There were 6 passengers and 2 pilots on board, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The US military said the plane was a "civilian-contracted aircraft" and that the individuals on board were "dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment". The radar site is part of a network of remote sites that track aircraft operating in Alaska's airspace. The US Air Force Alaskan Command's commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, described the crash as a "devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve". An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, led by the NTSB with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The names of those on board will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
Written for “Alaska Plane Crash Fatalities” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 1728 · logged 2026-08-31
A charter aircraft carrying eight people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing all on board, the U.S. military said.
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military → carry → board
The crash happened at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles west of Anchorage.
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crash → happen → Anchorage
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement that two of its employees were among those killed, according to KTUU-TV, a sister station to CBS Anchorage affiliate KYES-TV.
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two → say → affiliate
"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.
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Davis → serve → statement
The radar site is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.
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site → manage → Center
It's part of a network of remote radar sites that track aircraft operating in Alaska's airspace and along its borders, the statement from Alaskan Command said.
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statement → track → Command
The statement didn't provide details on the specific work the individuals were doing.
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individuals → provide → work
It referred to the plane involved as a "civilian-contracted aircraft."
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It → refer → aircraft
The Army Corps said in its statement that it had chartered the plane, KTUU reported.
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KTUU → say → plane
CBS News has reached out to the corps about the discrepancy.
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News → reach → discrepancy
Davis described those on board as "dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment.
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Davis → describe → environment
Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends and teammates during this devastating time.
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priority → provide → time
Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska region chief, said there were two pilots and six passengers on board.
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Johnson → say → board
The plane had taken off from Anchorage and was believed to have crashed on approach to Cape Newenham, Johnson said.
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Johnson → take → Newenham
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the Cessna 441 crashed at 12:15 p.m. local time.
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Cessna → say → p.m.
The twin-engine Cessna aircraft was operated by Anchorage-based air charter company Security Aviation, Johnson said, according to KTUU.
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Johnson → operate → KTUU
The FAA said the NTSB would lead the investigation into the crash, with the FAA assisting.
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FAA → say → crash
