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A plane carrying 10 people that disappeared mid-flight in rural Alaska during a dangerous winter storm has been found, alongside three bodies, authorities have confirmed.
On Friday, shortly after 2 p.m. local time the U.S. Coast Guard announced the aircraft had been found approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome in the west of the state, and that there were no survivors of the crash.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident,” the USCG said.
Authorities previously said Bering Air Flight 455 suffered “some kind of event” before that caused it to “rapidly lose altitude and speed.”
Authorities had been scouring the ground for survivors in “zero visibility conditions,” while warning the public against embarking on private rescue missions since the aircraft was reported missing just before 4 p.m. local time on Thursday.
The plane took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. before losing contact with the air traffic control tower less than an hour later, according to Bering Air’s director of operations, David Olson. It was about 12 miles offshore flying over the Norton Sound – about 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Nome.
All missings have been presumed dead and all families of passengers have been notified, the fire department said Friday.
Coast Guard shares picture of the wreckage of Bering Air Flight 445
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 05:01
Is it still safe to fly?
Nine passengers and a pilot are missing after Bering Air flight 445 vanished in the rural western region of Nome in Alaska.
The missing plane marks the third major air incident involving US personnel in 10 days.
A mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a US military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington DC took the lives of 67 passengers on Wednesday 29 January.
Two days later, a medical jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia, killing seven people, including all six passengers on board.
Simon Calder looks at the alarming question of how safe it is to fly:
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 04:00
Missing plane found on sea ice
The Bering Air flight 455 was located on sea ice, authorities said on Friday.
Mike Salerno, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, said rescuers were searching the aircraft’s last known location by helicopter when they spotted the wreckage.
They lowered two rescue swimmers to investigate.
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 03:00
Flight tracker captures moment Bering Air plane disappears over Alaska
A flight tracker has captured the moment a Bering Air plane with 10 people on board disappears over Alaska.
The plane carrying went missing in rural Alaska during a dangerous winter storm, with search and rescue crews scouring the ground and medical personnel “standing ready”.
Flight tracker captures moment Bering Air plane disappears over Alaska
A flight tracker has captured the moment a Bering Air plane with 10 people on board disappears over Alaska. The plane carrying went missing in rural Alaska during a dangerous winter storm, with search and rescue crews scouring the ground and medical personnel “standing ready”. The “overdue” aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was reported missing just before 4pm local time on Thursday (6 February) while en route from Unalakleet to Nome in the west of the state. Nine passengers and a pilot were on board the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan on Bering Air Flight 445, according to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety.
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 02:00
Seven dead passengers trapped inside plane
In a post on X the Coast Guard said that all the passengers were dead, but that some were trapped inside the wreckage.
“The remaining 7 people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane,” USCG wrote.
“Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident.”
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 01:00
‘Every available resources’ being used to find passengers
Authorities are using “every available resource” to find the passengers of the missing Bering Air plane, and all the families have been notified. of
On Friday, Alaska State Trooper Lt. Ben Endres said all occupants were adults on a regularly scheduled commuter flight.
“To the families and loved ones of those that are missing, just know we are using every available resource and working closely with the other teams, and every request that we’ve made for federal or state assistance has been granted and we continue to move forward working with our partners,” Endres said.
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 00:30
A plane matching the one that went missing in Alaska with 10 aboard has been found, along with three bodies, authorities have confirmed.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the aircraft had been found approximately 34 miles southeast of of Nome. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident,” the USCG said.
Read the full story more here:
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 00:15
Breaking: All passengers on crashed plane in Alaska are dead, authorities say
All 10 people aboard a small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska are dead, the U.S. Coast Guard has said.
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 00:11
Read More: Alaska plane crash updates: Missing plane found alongside three bodies