Tragic Plane Crash in Western Alaska Claims All 10 Onboard
A small commuter plane carrying 10 people crashed in western Alaska, resulting in the deaths of all onboard, authorities confirmed. The Bering Air Caravan, a single-engine turboprop, was en route from Unalakleet to Nome on Thursday afternoon when it disappeared from radar around 3:16 p.m. local time. The wreckage was discovered approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome on Friday, with the U.S. Coast Guard leading the recovery efforts.
The plane, which had nine passengers and one pilot, was operating at maximum capacity. It departed Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. and lost contact less than an hour later while 12 miles offshore. Flight data indicated a “rapid loss in elevation and speed” around 3:18 p.m., though the cause remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun its inquiry, but weather conditions and the wreckage’s location on a moving ice floe have complicated recovery and investigation efforts.
The passengers and pilot were identified as Chad Antill, 34, of Nome; Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla; Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome; Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla; Kameron Hartvigson, 41, of Anchorage; Rhone Baumgartner, 46, of Anchorage; Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River; Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage; Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet; and Carol Mooers, 48, of Unalakleet. Hartvigson and Baumgartner were employees of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, traveling for work related to a community water plant.
Search and rescue operations involved multiple agencies, including the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and the Nome Volunteer Fire Department. Weather conditions, including fog, snow, and freezing drizzle, hindered initial search efforts, but a Coast Guard C-130 and helicopters were deployed Friday morning. The wreckage was located by a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, with rescue swimmers confirming the tragic outcome.
This incident marks the third major aviation accident in the U.S. in eight days, following a collision near Washington, D.C., and a medical transport plane crash. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
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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