Crashed Alaska Plane Aborted Landing Before Accident, NTSB Says

(Bloomberg) -- Pilots operating a plane that crashed near a military airstrip in Alaska Thursday were battling bad weather conditions and had aborted a landing attempt prior to the accident, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board. 

The two pilots were navigating solely by instruments, said Clint Johnson, chief of the NTSB’s Alaska regional office. “Weather conditions would not allow them to actually visually see the ground,” he said Friday on a call with reporters. After the so-called missed approach at the Cape Newenham LRRS Airport, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft and a search commenced, Johnson added.

The crash killed all eight people on board. 

The NTSB is leading the probe into the crash, which it said occurred around 11:45 a.m. local time. The accident, involving a Cessna 441 aircraft, happened west of the airport, which is used to access and provide supplies to a remote military radar station, called the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site. 

The plane, which was carrying two pilots and six passengers, had departed from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. 

“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” said US Air Force Lieutenant General Robert Davis, the commander of Alaskan Command. “These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment.” 

The NTSB said in a statement that the aircraft was operated by Security Aviation as an air taxi flight. 

Foggy and Cloudy

The Cessna 441 model is a turboprop-powered aircraft first introduced in the 1970s that typically seats eight to nine passengers. Security Aviation is a private aircraft charter company that advertises services to “remote and secluded destinations” in Alaska. 

The US Army Corps of Engineers said it chartered the Cessna and that two of its employees were among the deceased.

Johnson said NTSB launched a six-member team to the accident site. As part of the probe, the agency said it will gather and review flight tracking data, air traffic control communications, witness statements and information on the pilots’ experience and backgrounds. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days. 

Data from the National Weather Service shows that it was cloudy and foggy with low visibility at the airport around the time of the accident. Safety investigators are going to look at what information the flight crew had about the weather when they were attempting to land, Johnson said. 

The wreckage from the crash is in an area where there’s steep, mountainous terrain, necessitating a helicopter recovery, Johnson said. 

Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site is part of a network of sites that track aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its border, according to the military. 

Plane crashes in Alaska account for a disproportionate amount of fatal US aviation accidents. The state relies heavily on air taxis and commuter planes to connect its rural communities, where aircraft often contend with treacherous weather. 

Last year a commuter plane that had been carrying 10 people was found crashed on sea ice with no survivors. Former US Senator Ted Stevens died in a high-profile plane accident in 2010. Those are just a few examples of the fatal crashes that occur in the state in each year, largely involving smaller aircraft.

Lawmakers from Alaska, including Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, took to social media to express their condolences for the victims and their families. 

Sullivan said on social media that he’s asked the NTSB and FAA for a briefing on the tragedy.