ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An NTSB team surveyed the site of a fatal plane crash in western Alaska on Sunday, following the incident that killed eight people on Thursday.
A chartered flight operated by Security Aviation and arranged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was transporting two pilots, two USACE employees, and four contractors to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport.
According to NTSB Alaska Regional Office Chief Clint Johnson, wreckage from the twin-engine Cessna Conquest 441 was discovered several hundred feet up a mountain, approximately a quarter mile from the runway. Johnson described the debris as “highly fragmented” with indications of a post-crash fire.
Investigators are interviewing personnel at the radar site who heard the crash. The two pilots were reportedly attempting a second landing in heavy fog. Johnson stated that several factors, including human error, mechanical issues, and environmental conditions, will be considered during the investigation.
The recovery phase has begun, with challenges anticipated due to the mountain’s elevation of 600-800 feet. Johnson advised that helicopter retrieval will be necessary to transport wreckage to the runway for eventual transport to Anchorage.
He estimated that wreckage recovery could take several weeks, after which additional NTSB investigators will conduct a thorough examination to determine the crash’s cause.
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