A heartbreaking aviation accident occurred this past Thursday in western Alaska, where a charter plane went down near a remote military radar installation. According to the U.S. military’s Alaskan Command, all eight individuals on board tragically lost their lives in the crash. The aircraft, a Cessna 441 managed by the Anchorage-based firm Security Aviation, had departed from Anchorage International Airport earlier that day with its sights set on the Cape Newenham area.

Federal Aviation Administration officials confirmed that the flight went off the radar shortly after 12:15 p.m. local time, ultimately coming to rest west of the Cape Newenham LRRS Airport. The crash site sits in a desolate stretch of the state, home to a critical network of radar facilities tasked with monitoring both regional airspace and international borders. Authorities are continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding this devastating loss of life.