A chartered security aviation flight carrying eight people crashed near the remote Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site in western Alaska on August 20, killing everyone on board.
The twin-engine turboprop Cessna Conquest, operated by Security Aviation and chartered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was carrying two pilots and six passengers when it went down approximately 450 miles west-southwest of Anchorage.
Investigators said the pilot had aborted at least one landing attempt because of low visibility before the aircraft crashed during a subsequent approach in foggy conditions.
Among those killed were two Anchorage-based U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees, Sabrina Hansen and Hayden Scalis. Hansen was a fire protection engineer, while Scalis was a mechanical engineer. They were traveling on official duty to inspect and perform maintenance on a newly installed fire suppression system at the radar site.
The U.S. Air Force also confirmed the death of 23-year-old Second Lieutenant Leah R. Borsich, a project programmer with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Officials described the victims as dedicated public servants and expressed condolences to their families, colleagues and loved ones.
The remaining victims were not affiliated with the Department of Defense, and their identities were expected to be released by Alaska authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. Investigators are examining the aircraft’s approach, weather conditions, visibility and other factors that may have contributed to the tragedy.
