Alaska Plane Crash Located, No Survivors From The 10 Onboard

A Bering Air commuter plane crashed on sea ice near Nome, Alaska, on Thursday, killing all 10 people on board in one of the state’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades.

The single-engine Cessna Caravan departed Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., carrying nine passengers and a pilot. It lost contact at 3:16 p.m., just minutes before landing, and radar data showed a sudden drop in altitude and speed at 3:18 p.m.

A massive search effort involving the Coast Guard, National Guard, Air Force, and FBI located the wreckage 30 miles southeast of Nome on Friday. Two rescue swimmers confirmed the crash site, with debris scattered across unstable, slushy ice. Officials warned that worsening weather could complicate recovery efforts.

There were no distress signals before the crash, and investigators are working to determine the cause. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to the scene.

This tragedy comes amid heightened air safety concerns following two deadly U.S. crashes in the past week: a midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that left seven dead.

Bering Air serves 32 remote villages in Alaska, where air travel is essential due to the lack of roads. Nome, best known as the finish line for the Iditarod sled dog race, is mourning the victims alongside their families.