Airplane carrying 10 people missing for over 10 hours, contact lost

Alaska, US – A search is currently underway for a Bering Air flight carrying 10 people that went missing after departing Unalakleet on February 6.

The Cessna Grand Caravan was en route to Nome when contact was lost less than an hour into the flight. The last known position of the aircraft was 12 miles offshore, flying across Norton Sound.

Airplane Carrying 10 People Missing for Over 10 Hours, Contact Lost, Location AnnouncedSource: Getty Images

Efforts to locate the missing plane

The US Coast Guard and local authorities are working to determine the plane’s last-known position.

Tracking site Flightradar24 reported the aircraft at an altitude of 5,300 feet before contact was lost.

Nome’s fire department has initiated an active ground search from Nome and White Mountain, urging the public to avoid forming individual search parties due to weather and safety concerns.

Challenges and context

Weather conditions at take-off time included -8.3°C (17°F) with fog and light snow, complicating search efforts.

Bering Air, which serves 32 villages in western Alaska, is a crucial link for communities where air travel is often the only viable option for long-distance travel, especially in winter.

This incident follows two major air accidents in the US in recent weeks, including a collision in Washington DC that killed 67 people and a medical plane crash in Philadelphia that claimed seven lives.