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All eight people on board were killed after a charter plane crashed in western Alaska, foreign media reported on the 21st, local time.
According to outlets including the Associated Press and CNN, a Cessna 441 charter plane that departed from Anchorage, Alaska, crashed around 12:15 p.m. on the 20th near Cape Newenham Airport.
At the time of the accident, the charter flight was carrying two pilots and six passengers, and all eight occupants were confirmed dead.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Cape Newenham Airport, located about 724 kilometers southwest of Anchorage, is used as an Air Force runway to access a long-range radar site in the region.
Only military aircraft and authorized charter flights are allowed to land at the airport.
Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of the Alaskan Command, said in a statement, "The victims were professionals who were dedicated to performing vital missions in a harsh environment," adding, "This accident is a tremendous loss to our military family and the communities we serve."
General Davis did not disclose the specific roles of the victims.
The crashed aircraft is known to be a privately contracted plane operated by security aviation, a charter company based in Anchorage.
Clint Johnson, the Alaska regional chief for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said, "It appears that the charter flight took off from Anchorage and crashed while approaching Cape Newenham Airport."
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will jointly investigate the cause of the accident, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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