An Air Force officer was among eight people killed when a charter plane crashed in remote western Alaska on August 20. Second Lieutenant Leah R. Borsich, 23, a project programmer with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, was identified as one of the victims.
Col. Timothey Meerstein, commander of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, described Borsich as a "positive leader who brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our command." He added, "She led with professionalism, compassion and purpose, and her presence strengthened the bonds between the people around her."
The Cessna 441 aircraft was en route from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport when it crashed during its second approach to the gravel runway. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the plane lost contact while making the approach in heavy fog.
Clint Johnson, the NTSB's Alaska region chief, reported that the pilots could not see the runway and were relying on instruments. The crew aborted their first landing attempt due to poor visibility before the crash occurred on the second approach. The observation system near the airport indicated fog and a visibility of about 10 miles shortly before the incident, which later decreased to less than a quarter-mile.
Search teams recovered fragmented wreckage of the twin-engine plane. In addition to Borsich and the two pilots, the passengers included two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees and four contractors. Two of the contractors were employed by Calista Brice. The Army Corps employees were part of a project delivery team traveling to support an Air Force project.
Cape Newenham is part of a network of radar sites established in the 1950s to monitor aircraft in Alaska's airspace and along its borders. The site is now tasked with monitoring skies off Alaska's coast in the direction of Russia, North Korea, and China.
Security Aviation, the Anchorage-based company that operated the flight, issued a statement expressing heartbreak over the crash and offering condolences to the families of those lost. The company stated it is cooperating with the investigation and is focused on supporting those affected by the tragedy.
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash.