A chartered twin-engine plane crashed Thursday while approaching one of the most isolated military installations in the country, killing all eight people on board, U.S. military officials and federal investigators said.

The Cessna 441 went down around 12:15 p.m. local time near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, roughly 450 miles west of Anchorage on Alaska's remote southwestern coast. The aircraft, operated by Anchorage-based charter carrier Security Aviation, had two pilots and six passengers aboard when it crashed on approach to the site's short airstrip. There were no survivors.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed two of its employees were among those killed, though officials have not disclosed the identities of the other passengers or the purpose of their trip. The radar station is part of a chain that has tracked aircraft along Alaska's coastline and international boundary since the Cold War, and is now overseen by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.

Search and recovery in one of the harshest corners of Alaska

Crews reached the crash site by air given the area's extreme remoteness — there are no roads connecting the radar station to any town, and the nearest community, Togiak, sits more than 60 miles away. According to NPR's reporting, recovery teams worked through the day to reach the wreckage before weather could complicate the effort.

Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, addressed the loss in a statement to reporters.

"This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve. Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families."

Clint Johnson, who heads the Alaska regional office of the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed the flight had departed Anchorage and crashed while on approach to the radar site's airstrip. Investigators have not said whether the crew reported any mechanical trouble or distress before the crash, and weather conditions at the time have not been detailed publicly.

Charter flights are the only practical way to move personnel and supplies to Cape Newenham and similar radar outposts scattered across Alaska's coast, since the sites have no permanent road access and see only occasional air traffic. CNN reported that Security Aviation has operated charter and cargo flights across the state for decades, though the airline had not commented publicly on the crash as of Thursday evening.

The NTSB is leading the investigation with assistance from the FAA, and officials say a preliminary report on the cause could take weeks. The agency has not released the names of the victims pending family notifications. The crash adds another entry to a difficult stretch for Alaska aviation, where small aircraft remain the primary way to reach much of the state's vast, roadless terrain.