All eight people aboard a charter flight were killed on 20 August 2026 when a Cessna 441 crashed in fog near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site in western Alaska, in the United States. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says the accident happened at about 11:45 Alaska daylight time, and the two pilots and six passengers were fatally injured.1

The aircraft, registered N128EZ, was flying from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to the radar site's airport, about 450 miles (725 km) west of Anchorage. It was destroyed.13 The latest account from investigators is the NTSB preliminary report released on 16 September, which sets out what happened but gives no cause.2

The flight and the people aboard

The flight was operated by Anchorage-based Security Aviation as a Part 135 on-demand air taxi service and had been chartered by the US Army Corps of Engineers.14 The passengers were two Corps employees, a US Air Force officer and three contractors, according to Alaska Public Media.6 They were travelling to support the radar site, with duties including routine maintenance and the inspection of a new fire suppression system.7 The Corps said its two employees were "part of a project delivery team en route to a project site in support of the U.S. Air Force."4

The Cessna, built in 1979, is registered to N128EZ LLC.8 It left Anchorage at 09:11, climbed to flight level 280 and headed west. When the aircraft departed, the latest observation from Cape Newenham showed 10 statute miles of visibility and a ceiling of 800 ft.1

Two approaches in deteriorating weather

At 10:27 controllers cleared the crew for the RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 15. The crew chose not to start it and asked for holding instructions instead. By the time they reported entering the hold at 10:43, the airport's automated weather station showed a quarter of a mile of visibility, patches of fog and an overcast ceiling at 300 ft.1

At 11:02, with the station showing 3 miles of visibility, mist and a broken ceiling at 300 ft, the crew requested and received clearance for the approach. Preliminary ADS-B data recorded the aircraft at about 425 ft on final approach at 11:11:40, when contact was lost about 2.3 miles north of the missed approach point. At 11:14 the crew reported a missed approach, told the controller they were in visual conditions and cancelled their IFR clearance.1

A technician at the site said the crew told him they would try to land at Platinum Airport, about 23 miles to the north. Several minutes later they reported they had been unable to reach Platinum by radio and wanted a second approach at Cape Newenham. At 11:24 they told controllers the weather had improved and requested a new IFR clearance. When they were cleared for that approach, the weather station was reporting a quarter of a mile of visibility, fog and an overcast ceiling at 300 ft.1

What the approach plate and the data show

The approach plate lists a minimum descent altitude of 1,320 ft and a visibility requirement of 3 miles, with the missed approach point 2.2 miles north of the runway threshold. It carries two cautions: "Rwy located on slope of 2306' mountain. High terrain both sides and S end of rwy" and "Successful go-around improbable if initiated past the MAP."1

According to the preliminary ADS-B data, the aircraft crossed the missed approach point at 11:43:18 at about 1,000 ft. It continued beyond that point and descended to about 600 ft before contact was lost at 11:43:51, about 1.3 miles north of the threshold.1

A technician at the site told investigators that by the time the second approach began, none of the visibility reference points could be seen and he could no longer see the runway. He heard "normal motor sounds" as the aircraft approached, then the engines "throttle up", followed by a "backfire", after which the sounds stopped. Personnel from the facility searched for the aircraft and found the wreckage on rising terrain about 0.5 miles west of the approach end of runway 15.1

The first point of contact was at an elevation of about 610 ft, with evidence of fire. The debris path ran about 160 ft upslope, and all major structural components of the aircraft were identified at the site.1

The NTSB investigation

Clint Johnson, chief of the NTSB's Alaska region, said after investigators reached the site that the wreckage was "highly fragmented and there was a post-crash fire which is indicative of a high-speed event." He said human, mechanical and environmental factors would all be considered: "Nothing has been eliminated at this point right now, but the weather is something we are going to be looking at."5

Eric Gutierrez, the lead investigator, said on publication of the preliminary report that the agency was in "the fact finding phase" and still collecting weather data and pilot and maintenance records. At that point, on 16 September, the wreckage remained at the site awaiting recovery because of the difficulty of reaching Cape Newenham safely. The NTSB hopes to release its final report within 18 months.6

The parties to the investigation are the FAA, Security Aviation, Textron Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, the US Air Force and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.2

A remote site and a heavy loss

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said the US Coast Guard, the NTSB, the Alaska State Troopers and the Rescue Coordination Center had responded to the crash. The radar site, which tracks aircraft in Alaskan airspace, is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.3

Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, called the crash "a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve."3 It was the deadliest crash in Alaska since a Bering Air accident killed all 10 people aboard in February 2025.6