Charter Plane Crash Kills Eight Near Alaska Radar Site
A charter plane crashed Thursday near a radar site in Alaska. All eight people aboard died.
The Cessna 441 crashed near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport. This is on Alaska's south-west coast.
The radar site sits about 450 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage-based company Security Aviation operated the plane.
The plane left Anchorage around 12:15 p.m. local time. It was headed to Cape Newenham.
The US military manages the radar site. The plane was civilian-contracted. It remains unclear why the plane was at the radar site.
Klear Note — Radar sites use radio signals to detect and track aircraft. Civilian-contracted means a private company was hired for the flight.
Key Terms 4
- Cessna 441 A small twin-engine plane often used for charter flights.
- charter aircraft A plane hired privately, not a scheduled airline flight.
- radar site A location with equipment that tracks aircraft or objects.
- civilian-contracted Operated by a private company hired to work for the military.