Air Force officer who died in Alaska plane crash remembered as 'positive leader'

A 23-year-old Air Force officer killed alongside seven others in a charter plane crash in remote western Alaska last week is being remembered as a "positive leader" who served with "professionalism, compassion and purpose." The Air Force identified 2nd Lt.

Leah R.

Borsich on Monday as one of the victims of the Aug.

20 crash near the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, about 450 miles west-southwest of Anchorage.

Borsich was a project programmer with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson .

"Lt.

Borsich was a positive leader who brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our command," Col.

Timothey Meerstein, commander of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, said in a statement.

TWO US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS EMPLOYEES AMONG 8 KILLED IN ALASKA CHARTER PLANE CRASH "She led with professionalism, compassion and purpose, and her presence strengthened the bonds between the people around her," Meerstein said.

"She made a lasting impact on our team, and we are grateful for her service and commitment to our nation." The Cessna 441 was carrying two pilots and six passengers when it crashed west of Cape Newenham at about 12:15 p.m.

Thursday.

All eight people aboard were killed.

The charter plane had taken off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was headed to Cape Newenham when it crashed during its second approach to the gravel runway in heavy fog, according to federal officials.

The pilots could not see the runway and were flying by instruments, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, said Friday.