Aircraft carrying two pilots and six passengers went down while approaching Cape Newenham after departing from Anchorage

ALASKA: Eight people died after a charter aircraft crashed near a remote military radar installation in western Alaska, US authorities said, following a search and rescue operation in the isolated region.

The aircraft carried two pilots and six passengers, according to Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region.

The plane departed Anchorage before reportedly crashing on Thursday afternoon while approaching the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site.

However, Johnson cautioned that authorities were still gathering information and described the available details surrounding the crash as preliminary.

Rescuers Launch Search Near Cape Newenham

The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center launched a search and rescue mission after receiving a report about an aircraft incident near the Cape Newenham radar facility.

Crews subsequently searched the remote area for the missing aircraft as authorities worked to determine its location and the condition of those aboard.

The Alaskan Command later confirmed that search teams located the crash site on Friday. Officials said all eight people aboard, including the two crew members and six passengers, had died.

Meanwhile, authorities have not released the identities of the victims or provided detailed information about the aircraft’s operator.

Investigation Expected to Examine Cause of Crash

Officials have also not established what caused the aircraft to go down while approaching the military installation.

Consequently, investigators are expected to examine available flight information, weather conditions, aircraft records and other evidence as they work to reconstruct the final stages of the flight.

The remote location could complicate recovery and investigative operations because Cape Newenham lies in a sparsely populated section of western Alaska.

Furthermore, authorities have not reported whether the aircraft issued a distress call before the crash.

Rescue officials said they would provide additional information as it became available.

For now, authorities have confirmed the deaths of everyone aboard while investigators continue gathering evidence to determine the circumstances that led to the fatal crash.