Charter Plane Carrying Eight Crashes in Western Alaska

A Cessna 441 charter plane carrying eight people crashed in western Alaska on Thursday. The Security Aviation aircraft took off from Anchorage and was headed for Cape Newenham, about 720 km away, according to CNN. Preliminary information from the US Federal Aviation Administration said the plane crashed at around 12:15 p.m. near its destination.

Two pilots and six passengers were on board, but their condition was not immediately known. The aircraft came down on land near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the area, and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center launched a search and rescue operation. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

(mja)