Alaska charter flight crash kills 8

A charter plane crash at a remote military radar site in western Alaska on Thursday has left all eight people on board dead, according to the United States military.

The aircraft  crashed around 12:15 pm (2015 UTC) on approach to Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, located about 725 kilometers (450 miles) west of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, from where it had departed.

Six passengers and two pilots were aboard the plane during the incident, said Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Reports identified the plane as a ‌Cessna 441 operated by Anchorage-based air charter company Security Aviation.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her condolences, following news of the crash.

"I've traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots," she said on X, naming the charter company that operates in the remote region.

She added that multiple agencies, including the US Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center had responded to the crash.

The Associated Press cited the US ​military's Alaskan Command as saying that the plane was a "civilian-contracted aircraft."