A routine flight over Alaska’s remote wilderness took a chilling turn when a small passenger plane vanished from radar. With 10 people on board, the aircraft never reached its destination.
Days later, search crews made a somber discovery.
A small passenger plane that vanished over Alaska’s Bering Sea has been located after an extensive search.
The aircraft, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Bering Air, was carrying 10 people, including the pilot, when it disappeared Thursday afternoon near Nome.Authorities launched an urgent search, scouring the coastline for any sign of the missing plane.
On Friday, multiple agencies provided an update, revealing that a search aircraft had identified an “item of interest” linked to the missing flight.The Cessna had departed Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., bound for Nome, according to Bering Air’s Director of Operations, David Olson. Data from FlightRadar showed its last recorded position at 3:16 p.m. over Norton Sound before it vanished from radar.
Rescue crews, including the Nome Volunteer Fire Department and local search teams, concentrated their efforts along a 30-mile stretch between Nome and Topkok. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided a somber update on the search efforts, confirming the plane’s discovery roughly 34 miles southeast of Nome.In a statement on social media, the agency announced the end of its search, revealing that three individuals had been found inside the wreckage.
All were confirmed deceased.The remaining seven people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane,” the USCG added.
In a follow-up message. They expressed condolences to the victims’ families and those impacted by the tragedy.
Rescue teams are now working to assess the wreckage and determine the next steps in recovering the remaining passengers.
Investigators will also examine the crash site to uncover what led to the fatal incident.
