A U.S. Air Force officer and two Army Corps of Engineers civilians were among eight people killed in a plane crash in Western Alaska last week.
2nd Lt. Leah R. Borsich, 23, was a project programmer in the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located in Anchorage, Alaska, according to a Monday base release.
Borsich was among eight people killed Aug. 20 when a civilian-contracted aircraft crashed at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, roughly 450 miles west-southwest of Anchorage.
“Lt. Borsich was a positive leader who brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our command,” Col. Timothey Meerstein, commander of Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, said in the release. “She led with professionalism, compassion and purpose, and her presence strengthened the bonds between the people around her. She made a lasting impact on our team, and we are grateful for her service and commitment to our nation.”
With support from an HC-130J Combat King II, an Alaska Air National Guard HH-60W Jolly Green II landed near the crash site, and personnel from the 212th Rescue Squadron, housed at Elmendorf-Richardson, confirmed there were no survivors of the crash, a Thursday release says.
The flight, which was chartered by the Army Corps of Engineers and operated by Security Aviation, crashed with eight personnel on board, resulting in the death of two pilots and six passengers.
Two Army Corps of Engineers employees from the Alaska District were also killed in the crash.
Sabrina Hansen and Hayden Scalis were both from Anchorage and working within the district’s Engineering Division, according to a Monday Corps release.
Hansen worked as a fire protection engineer, while Scalis served as a mechanical engineer.
They were on official duty conducting a routine project site visit in support of the Air Force to inspect and perform maintenance on a new fire suppression system, according to the release.
“We mourn the tragic loss of our selfless teammates. They were public servants and true professionals, dedicated to securing our nation,” Lt. Gen. William H. Graham, 56th Chief of Engineers and USACE commanding general, said in the release. “Our thoughts are with their families and colleagues during this time of immeasurable loss.”
Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a news conference following the crash that the aircraft was a Cessna 441.
Johnson said that preliminary data shows that the aircraft had a missed approach to the remote location of Cape Newenham and crashed upon a second attempt.
“What I mean by missed approach is this airplane was operating in IFR or instrument meteorological conditions, which means the pilot or the pilots in this case were navigating solely by instruments,” Johnson said. “Weather conditions would not allow them to actually visually see the ground.”
Anchorage Center lost contact with the aircraft after the second missed approach and a search began shortly after. The “down” weather at the time of the incident impacted the ability to find the wreckage. The crash occurred around 11:45 a.m. local time, and the wreckage was not located until late that afternoon.
There was a post-crash fire, Johnson said, and the wreckage was found in an area of rising terrain, about a third of a mile to the west of the runway the crew was headed toward.
The crash is currently under investigation by the NTSB, working with the Federal Aviation Administration and possibly Security Aviation, Johnson said.
Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, is part of a network of remote radar sites that track aircraft in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
