After going missing on Thursday, the Bering Air flight that had 10 people onboard, was found crashed in Alaska on Friday, leaving no survivors, according to the Alaska Coast Guard as recovery efforts continue.
Newsweek has reached out to the Alaska Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.
Why It Matters
This crash marks the third major aviation accident in the United States in just over a week, raising fresh concerns about flight safety as investigators work to determine what caused the crash.
This crash also comes as air travel is crucial for many rural Alaskan communities, as roads are often not an option for transportation, particularly during the winter months.
What To Know
The single-engine Cessna Caravan aircraft, operated by Bering Air, initially vanished from radar Thursday afternoon while en route from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. The wreckage was found on Friday in the Bering Sea after an extensive search effort involving local, state, and federal agencies.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Alaska Coast Guard wrote that it ended its search for the plane after locating it, adding that it identified three people dead, later noting the seven other people were believed to be inside the plane with no survivors.
“#USCG has ended its search for the missing plane after the aircraft was located approx. 34 miles southeast of Nome. 3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased,” the U.S. Coast Guard Alaska wrote.
It added: “The remaining 7 people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane. Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident.”
Authorities have since confirmed that all nine passengers and the pilot died in the crash and were all adults. Among the victims were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who had been in Unalakleet servicing a critical heat recovery system for the community’s water plant, according to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
The identities of the remaining victims have not yet been released.
According to the Associated Press, efforts to recover the plane and the victims intensified on Saturday as crews rushed to complete their work ahead of an incoming winter storm that threatened to bring high winds and heavy snow.
The victims’ remains will be removed before a Black Hawk helicopter is used to transport the aircraft, officials said, per the AP.
The plane was found after officials reported that the aircraft lost contact less than an hour after departing Unalakleet, a small community of about 690 people located approximately 150 miles southeast of Nome. The plane was last seen roughly 30 miles from Nome before disappearing from radar.
What We Know as Investigators Probe Cause of the Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a probe into the crash, deploying investigators from across the country.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, early radar data analyzed by the U.S. Civil Air Patrol suggests the plane experienced a rapid loss of altitude and speed before impact. However, the cause remains unknown.
In addition, per the AP, Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Benjamin McIntyre-Coble reported that no emergency distress signals were received from the aircraft, raising further questions about what led to the tragedy.
Typically, if a plane is submerged in seawater, its emergency transmitter would send a signal to a satellite, alerting the Coast Guard.
What People Are Saying
Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, wrote on X on Saturday: “Our hearts are broken for the families and loved ones lost on the Bering Air flight. We are a big family in Alaska and this tragedy touches us all. We are also deeply grateful for the rescue teams who did heroic work in dangerous conditions and for the federal officials—including the Chair of the NTSB, who is in Alaska today to coordinate the federal response, and the Secretary of Transportation, who committed to me to provide all resources necessary. Again, our deepest prayers are with families of those lost and their communities.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, wrote on X on Friday: “My heart is broken over the news out of Nome. Alaska is a big small town. When tragedy strikes, we’re never far removed from the Alaskans directly impacted. But that also means we come together as a community to grieve and heal. We are deeply grateful to the Alaska National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, the Alaska State Troopers, and all those who braved dangerous conditions to conduct the search for the downed aircraft. All of Alaska is praying for the families and friends of those who lost loved ones, for the Bering Air family, and the communities of Unalakleet and Nome.”
Jim West, chief of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, said per the Associated Press on Friday: “The conditions out there are dynamic, so we’ve got to do it safely in the fastest way we can.”
What Happens Next?
An investigation into the cause of the plane crash remains ongoing.
The post All Passengers in Missing Alaska Plane Confirmed Dead: Authorities appeared first on Newsweek.
