Bering Air Plane Missing in Alaska; Search and Rescue Efforts Underway

2025-03-01

A Bering Air plane carrying 10 people, including nine passengers and one pilot, went missing on Thursday, February 7, 2025, during a scheduled flight from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. The turboprop Cessna Caravan, operated by Bering Air, was reported missing after it failed to land as scheduled at 4 p.m. The plane was last tracked 12 miles offshore, where it experienced a rapid loss of altitude and speed over the Norton Sound, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Search and rescue efforts, led by the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, were hampered by poor weather and low visibility. On Friday, February 8, a Coast Guard helicopter located the wreckage approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome. Rescue swimmers confirmed three fatalities inside the heavily damaged plane, with the remaining seven individuals presumed dead but not immediately accessible due to the extent of the damage. Families of those on board have been notified.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash, with investigators on-site to document the wreckage. The cause of the incident remains unclear, as the plane did not emit an Emergency Locator Transmitter signal. Bering Air, a family-owned regional airline based in Nome, has been operating since 1979 and provides scheduled service, charter flights, and cargo transport in Alaska.

This incident is the latest in a series of recent aviation accidents in the U.S., including a midair collision near Washington, D.C., and a fatal Medevac jet crash in Philadelphia. Alaska, known for its challenging weather and remote terrain, sees a disproportionate number of air taxi and commuter plane accidents compared to other states. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the NTSB expected to provide further updates in the coming weeks.