Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21

Alaska Cessna 441 Crash Kills 8 Near Cape Newenham as Fog Blinds Second Landing Attempt

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21

Alaska Cessna 441 Crash Kills 8 Near Cape Newenham as Fog Blinds Second Landing Attempt

Q: Will rescue teams find any survivors among the eight people aboard the downed Security Aviation flight in Alaska's wilderness?

It is too early to say, but the available reporting points to a grim outlook. Authorities confirmed that rescue teams reached the crash area near Cape Newenham after the Security Aviation Cessna went down on approach to the remote airstrip. However, as of the latest reports, officials had not announced any survivors, injuries, or fatalities. One cited report said there was “no indication of any survivors” as of Thursday afternoon, though that was preliminary and not a final official death confirmation. The fact that the aircraft crashed on land near the airport, rather than disappearing offshore, improves access for rescuers and raises the chance of quickly locating occupants. Multiple agencies were on scene or responding, including the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska State Troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Alaska Air National Guard. Still, the circumstances remain serious. The flight was carrying eight people, and crashes involving a twin-engine charter aircraft in remote western Alaska can be difficult to survive, especially if the impact was severe. The remoteness of Cape Newenham and the lack of immediate medical information add to the uncertainty. For now, the most accurate answer is that rescuers had reached the site, but no confirmed survivors had been publicly reported. Whether anyone survived depends on the condition of the wreckage and the occupants, which authorities had not yet released.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 21

Eight people died when a Cessna 441 crashed about a mile from the Cape Newenham runway around 11:45 a.m. Thursday on a flight from Anchorage to the remote western Alaska site.
Fog prevented the pilots from seeing the ground during a second approach after an aborted first landing, forcing them to fly solely on instruments, according to the NTSB.
Two pilots, two U.S. Army engineers and four contractors were aboard the civilian-contracted flight to the military radar station; the pilots worked for Anchorage-based Security Aviation.
A six-member NTSB team and at least one FAA investigator are heading to the steep, hard-to-reach crash site as officials withhold victims' names pending family notification.