A regional airline flight that vanished in the vast, rugged wilderness of Alaska on Thursday has been tragically located, with the U.S. Coast Guard confirming on Friday that all 10 individuals aboard have perished.
The small commuter aircraft, a Cessna operated by Bering Air, was discovered approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome, nestled within the stark, icy landscape.
U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers managed to identify three bodies inside the mangled wreck of the plane,
while authorities believe the remaining seven victims are still trapped within the debris, a grim reality that is currently inaccessible, according to Lt. Commander Mike Salerno of the Coast Guard.
According to CNN, The flight, which was transporting nine passengers along with a pilot, disappeared into the frigid air on Thursday afternoon while making its journey from the quaint town of Unalakleet to Nome
—two communities situated on opposite sides of the frosty Norton Sound inlet.
The last known radar signal indicated the plane was about 12 miles offshore when communication was abruptly lost.
Witnessing a catastrophic event, the aircraft experienced a rapid descent and a sudden drop in speed around 3:18 p.m. local time, as detailed by Coast Guard Lt. Commander Benjamin McIntyre-Coble.
A photo released by the Coast Guard ominously depicts the aircraft shattered into pieces against a backdrop of pristine snow, symbolizing the tragic incident’s profound impact.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident,” stated the USCG on X.
Search operations encountered numerous obstacles, primarily due to the aircraft’s failure to transmit its position through an emergency locator; a crucial lifeline in such dire situations.
Rescuers scoured the snowy terrain surrounding Nome and the treacherous sea ice off the coast, with initial aerial search efforts by C-130 crews from both the Coast Guard and the U.S. Air Force drawing a blank amidst poor weather conditions on Thursday, as reported by the Nome Volunteer Fire Department on Friday morning.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed his condolences, asserting that the Federal Aviation Administration is dispatching an investigator from the Aviation Safety Office of Accident and Prevention, along with local support from FAA aviation safety inspectors. “Say a prayer tonight for the 10 souls who lost their lives on the Bering Air flight in Alaska,” Duffy implored in a statement on X.
At a news conference prior to the discovery of the wreckage, McIntyre-Coble indicated that search teams had pinpointed “some sort of item of interest” during their aerial reconnaissance, prompting an immediate response from the Coast Guard to investigate further.
As the search resumed on Friday morning, visibility improved significantly, with clear skies hanging over Nome Airport at around 10 a.m., accompanied by biting temperatures hovering around 5 degrees. The National Guard and Coast Guard augmented their efforts with helicopter search teams, while another Coast Guard C-130 touched down in Nome to lend support.
All families of the passengers aboard the ill-fated flight have been notified, as stated by the fire department on Friday, though out of respect, no names have been released. The passengers, as confirmed by Alaska State Troopers Lt. Ben Endres, were all adults.
“Please keep families in your thoughts at this time,” urged the fire department, as the community grapples with the heartbreaking loss. This tragedy comes amidst heightened scrutiny of U.S. air safety practices, following investigations into two recent catastrophic incidents: a midair collision involving a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial passenger jet near Washington, D.C. that claimed 67 lives, and a medevac jet crash in Philadelphia that resulted in seven fatalities.
