Coast Guard finds missing plane in Alaska ice; 10 dead in crash

• A small commuter plane crashed in western Alaska on Thursday, Feb. 6, killing all 10 people on board. The wreckage was found on sea ice Friday, Feb. 7, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the state in 25 years.
• The aircraft, operated by Bering Air, disappeared while flying from Unalakleet to Nome, with no distress signal detected.
• Investigators are analyzing radar data and wreckage to determine the cause of the crash, as officials and local leaders express condolences.

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A small commuter plane crashed in western Alaska on Thursday, Feb. 6, killing all 10 people on board. The wreckage was discovered on sea ice Friday, Feb. 7, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the state in 25 years.

Where was the plane traveling, and when did it disappear?

The aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was flying from Unalakleet to Nome when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. It was a routine commuter flight, typically lasting less than an hour.

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Search teams began looking for the missing plane immediately after it failed to arrive as scheduled. On Friday, rescue teams located the wreckage 30 miles southeast of Nome, according to Mike Salerno of the U.S. Coast Guard.

What caused the crash?

The exact cause of the crash is still unknown. Radar forensic data from the U.S. Civil Air Patrol showed that the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude and speed at 3:18 p.m. on Thursday.

Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble of the Coast Guard said officials cannot speculate on what caused the sudden drop.

Did the plane send a distress signal?

The aircraft was equipped with an emergency locating transmitter, a device designed to send a distress signal if the plane crashes into water. However, the Coast Guard never received any transmission, raising questions about what happened in the final moments of the flight.

What was the response from officials?

“My heart is broken over the news out of Nome. Alaska is a big small town,” Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote on X.

“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.”

Who was on board?

According to Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers, all 10 victims were adults. The flight was a standard commuter service, often used by locals and business travelers.

What happens next?

Investigators will continue to analyze radar data, wreckage and any recovered flight instruments to determine the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to lead the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard.

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Authorities have not released the identities of the victims as they work to notify families.