Archive · 22 Aug 2026
NTSB Says Alaska Plane Crashed During Second Landing Attempt
A small plane crashed in a remote part of Alaska, and all eight people on board died.
There were two pilots and six passengers.
The plane was flying from Anchorage to an airport serving a military radar site.
Thick fog and low clouds made it hard for the pilots to see the ground.
They had to use the plane’s instruments instead.
The pilots stopped their first landing attempt because they could not see well enough.
Air traffic controllers then lost contact with the plane.
The plane crashed near the runway during another landing attempt.
Investigators are studying the weather, radio messages, flight data, and the pilots’ experience to learn what happened.
A Cessna 441 carrying two pilots and six passengers crashed near Cape Newenham in Alaska, killing everyone aboard.
The aircraft was attempting to land at a remote military radar-site airport in heavy fog and low cloud.
Pilots aborted the first landing attempt because they could not see the ground and were flying solely by instruments.
Air traffic controllers lost contact after the missed approach; the aircraft crashed west of the runway during a subsequent attempt.
The NTSB sent a six-member team, is reviewing weather and flight data, and expects a preliminary report within 30 days.
- Who
- Two pilots and six passengers were aboard a Cessna 441 operated by Security Aviation; two passengers were employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and two were employees of Calista Brice, according to the reports.
- What
- The aircraft crashed during or after a second landing attempt, killing all eight people aboard.
- When
- Thursday, August 20, 2026, at approximately 11:45 a.m. local time according to the NTSB; another FAA account gave approximately 12:15 p.m.
- Where
- West of Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport in Alaska, near a remote U.S. military radar station.
- Why
- The cause remains under investigation; officials reported heavy fog, low clouds, low visibility, mountainous terrain, and an aborted first landing attempt.
- Aircraft
- Cessna 441 twin-engine turboprop
- Operator
- Security Aviation, operating the flight as an air taxi
- Charterer
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- People aboard
- Two pilots and six passengers; no survivors
- Route
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport
- Conditions
- Fog, clouds, low cloud ceiling, and limited visibility
- Investigation
- The NTSB deployed a six-member team and expects a preliminary report within 30 days
- Recovery
- Steep, mountainous terrain at the wreckage site requires helicopter recovery
