2 US Army Corps of Engineers workers among 8 killed in small plane crash in Alaska

Eight people, including two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees, died when a small plane crashed in foggy conditions near a remote military radar site in southwestern Alaska. The twin-engine Cessna 441 was traveling from Anchorage to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site when the accident occurred.

The radar site, built in the 1950s for early warning against Soviet missile attacks, now monitors airspace toward Russia, North Korea, and China. The U.S. Air Force described those on board as "dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment," calling the loss "devastating."

Weather conditions were deteriorating rapidly at the time of the crash. Minutes before the flight, visibility was reported at about 10 miles, but it dropped to less than a quarter-mile shortly after the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration advises pilots to use GPS and other instruments for landings at the site, which has a gravel airstrip on a mountain slope.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are traveling to the scene. They will examine factors including weather conditions and whether the pilots declared an emergency.

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This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve.