Alaska plane crash: Why flying is so risky in the state where 80% communities are still not connected by roads

A charter aircraft carrying eight people crashed near a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing everyone on board, according to the U.S. military. The Cessna 441 had taken off from Anchorage and was headed to Cape Newenham when it crashed about 450 miles west of Anchorage.

The latest crash has once again drawn attention to Alaska's aviation safety record. Between January 1998 and December 2017, the National Transportation Safety Board recorded 2,257 aircraft crashes in Alaska. The state's overall accident rate between 2008 and 2017 was 2.35 times the U.S. rate.

Why is flying in Alaska so dangerous?

Alaska's geography is one of the biggest reasons. Much of the state is remote, mountainous and sparsely populated, while weather conditions can change rapidly. Large parts of the state are also considered uncontrolled airspace, which can limit pilots' access to real-time weather and traffic information.


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For many Alaskans, however, flying is not optional. About 80% of the state's communities are not connected to the road system, making aircraft an important form of transportation for medical appointments, emergencies, schools and everyday travel.

Unlike much of the United States, Alaska's aviation network relies heavily on small aircraft. Large commercial jets can serve hubs such as Bethel and Nome, but they cannot economically or practically reach many smaller villages. Small piston and turboprop aircraft therefore play a crucial role in connecting remote communities.

Small aircraft face greater risks

The safety gap is also linked to the types of aircraft and operators commonly used in Alaska. While major airlines operate large jets under stringent regulations, Alaska has many smaller commuter, air-taxi and charter operators.

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Pilots working for smaller operators can have considerably fewer flight hours than pilots at large carriers and operate under different requirements. Nationally, commuter, air-taxi and charter flights have had much higher fatal-crash rates than large air carriers.

The state's rugged terrain and rapidly changing weather add another layer of difficulty. Poor visibility, mountainous terrain and difficult rural airstrips can make flying particularly challenging.

Alaska's share of small-plane fatalities has risen

Despite a nationwide decline in deaths involving small commercial aircraft over the past two decades, fatalities in Alaska have remained relatively steady. As a result, Alaska's share of national deaths in such crashes increased from 26% in the early 2000s to 42% since 2016, according to the analysis cited in the source material.

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Safety officials have pushed for stronger measures, including greater use of flight-data monitoring and navigation technology. The FAA has also introduced initiatives aimed at improving aviation safety in Alaska, while the NTSB has repeatedly called for additional action.

Alaska's aviation system has improved in some areas. The FAA's Capstone project, which introduced technologies including ADS-B, was associated with a 47% decline in the aviation accident rate in Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. But many challenges remain, particularly because of the state's size, weather, terrain and dependence on small aircraft.

For many remote Alaskan communities, aviation remains a lifeline. That dependence makes aviation safety particularly important in a state where flying is often the only practical way to travel between communities.