An intensive search and rescue operation is underway in Western Alaska following the disappearance of a Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX carrying ten people. The aircraft vanished from radar on Thursday afternoon approximately 12 miles offshore while en route from Unalakleet to Nome. FlightRadar data indicates the plane's last transmission occurred at 3:16 p.m. local time over the Norton Sound, with a subsequent "rapid loss in elevation and speed" recorded just two minutes later.
The U.S. Coast Guard, leading the search efforts, has confirmed the presence of all adults on board the regularly scheduled flight. An "item of interest" has been spotted, and aircraft are currently investigating its nature. The FBI is providing technical support, including cellular analysis, to aid in locating the missing aircraft and its occupants. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department, also involved in the ground search along the coastline, reported that the plane's Emergency Locator Transmitter has not been activated.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department stated the pilot had communicated intentions to enter a holding pattern due to a blocked runway in Nome. Despite aerial searches conducted by C-130 Hercules planes, no sightings have been reported. Families of the passengers have been notified, and community support is being mobilized. The National Guard's Black Hawk helicopter is being deployed, and search and rescue teams from White Mountain and Nome are continuing ground searches. Bering Air has also dispatched two King Air aircraft and two helicopters to assist in the search.
Bering Air, a regional airline operating throughout Northwest Alaska, confirmed the aircraft was carrying nine passengers and a pilot. The National Weather Service reported light snow and fog with temperatures around 17 degrees in Unalakleet at the time of takeoff. A National Transportation Safety Board investigator is en route to Nome to assist in the investigation. Alaska's Senators, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, along with Governor Mike Dunleavy, have expressed their concern and support for the ongoing search and rescue mission. A community prayer vigil is scheduled in Nome.
This incident follows two recent fatal aviation accidents in the U.S., increasing concerns regarding air safety.
