Air flight to Nome missing with 10 onboard
Crews in rural Alaska are currently engaged in a search for a missing plane that was carrying 10 people and disappeared on Thursday. The Nome Fire Department, National Guard, and Coast Guard have all mobilized to respond to reports of the missing Bering Air caravan.
The aircraft was en route from Unalakleet to Nome when it went missing, approximately 12 miles offshore. According to the USCG, the plane’s last known position was lost while it was flying over the Norton Sound. Data from FlightRadar indicates that the Bering Air flight was last seen at 3:16 p.m. before disappearing.
To aid in the search efforts, the USCG has deployed an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Kodiak to scour the area where the plane was last located. Meanwhile, members of the Nome Fire Department are conducting an active ground search, although poor weather conditions are limiting visibility.
In a statement, the fire department mentioned, “We are currently doing an active ground search from Nome and from White Mountain and have as much up-to-date information on the event as possible. Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time.”
Despite the challenging conditions, the Nome Fire Department is urging the public not to form individual search parties but instead to support the families of those missing during this difficult time. Families are encouraged to seek assistance at the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
The Norton Sound Health Corporation has stated that they are prepared to respond to any community medical emergencies that may arise as a result of this incident. Meanwhile, the search for the missing plane continues in the hopes of locating the 10 individuals on board.
This search operation comes in the wake of recent aviation tragedies in the United States, including a collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) as well as a Learjet 55 medevac jet that crashed in Philadelphia, resulting in the loss of at least seven lives.
As the search for the missing plane in rural Alaska unfolds, authorities are working tirelessly to locate the aircraft and its passengers, while also dealing with the aftermath of recent aviation incidents across the country.
