Tragic Commuter Plane Crash in Western Alaska Claims 10 Lives
A small commuter plane carrying 10 people, including nine passengers and a pilot, crashed in western Alaska on Thursday, February 6, 2025, with all aboard presumed dead, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Bering Air Cessna Caravan, a single-engine turboprop, was en route from Unalakleet to Nome when it disappeared from radar around 3:16 p.m. local time, approximately 12 miles offshore over Norton Sound. The wreckage was discovered Friday afternoon about 34 miles southeast of Nome, with three bodies visible inside the heavily damaged aircraft. The remaining seven individuals are believed to be inside but were not immediately accessible due to the extent of the damage.
The plane experienced a sudden event causing a rapid loss of altitude and speed, according to radar data analyzed by the Coast Guard. The cause of the incident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has dispatched investigators to the scene. Weather conditions at the time of the crash included fog, light snow, and freezing drizzle, with temperatures around 17°F (-8.3°C) and visibility as low as half a mile.
Search and rescue efforts were hampered by severe weather, including high winds and snow squalls, which grounded aircraft and limited visibility. Ground crews from Nome and White Mountain conducted searches along the coast, while the Coast Guard deployed helicopters and a C-130 aircraft to assist in the operation. Families of those onboard have been notified, and the Nome Volunteer Fire Department urged the public to avoid forming independent search parties due to the dangerous conditions.
This incident marks the third major aviation disaster in the U.S. in just over a week, following a fatal collision near Washington, D.C., and a Medevac jet crash in Philadelphia. Bering Air, a regional airline serving remote Alaskan communities, operates scheduled flights to villages inaccessible by road, highlighting the reliance on small aircraft in the state’s challenging terrain and weather conditions. The NTSB’s investigation into the crash is ongoing, with additional updates expected in the coming days.
All 10 people aboard Alaska plane that crashed died, says US Coast Guard
Authorities found the plane, which was carrying passengers across Norton Sound, about 34 miles south-east of Nome
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The Bering Air Caravan was reported missing Thursday afternoon after rapidly losing altitude and speed.
www.usatoday.com
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A possible plane crash was reported near Nome late Thursday afternoon, according to a fire official.
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Authorities are frantically searching for an airplane carrying 10 people that went missing on its way to Nome, Alaska, according to officials.
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The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later.
www.al.com
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Editor’s note: We are updating this story as details become available. Check back. A Cessna Caravan plane belonging to Bering Air has gone missing on
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