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A plane carrying 10 people disappeared mid-flight in rural Alaska during a dangerous winter storm, with the U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force scouring the ground for survivors and medical personnel “standing ready”.
The aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was reported missing just before 4 p.m. local time on Thursday while en route from Unalakleet to Nome in western Alaska. Nine passengers and a pilot were on board the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan on Bering Air Flight 445, according to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety.
The plane took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later where it was believed to be about 12 miles offshore flying over the Norton Sound, according to Bering Air’s director of operations, David Olson. It went off radio roughly 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Nome.
“The plane’s exact location is still unknown. We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located,” the Nome Volunteer Fire Department wrote in an update late on Thursday.
Alaska Senator, Dan Sullivan, took to Facebook to offer his “thoughts and prayers” for those missing.
Who is Berring Air?
Bering Air was established in Nome, Alaska in September 1979.
When it commenced operations in October of that year, it had a single aircraft.
Today, its fleet consists of 44 planes – both commercial and cargo.
The airline flies roughly 32 regions in western Alaska from its three bases in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet.
Approximately 150 employees work for the company, according to its website.
James Liddell7 February 2025 10:29
Pilot battled freezing temperatures and poor visibility
Nome Airport faced light snow and freezing drizzle were seen around on Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, it was minus -8.3C in Unalakleet with light snow and fog around take-off, the agency said. At its worst, visibility was down to only half a mile.
Wind gusts up to 35 mph were forecast overnight.
James Liddell7 February 2025 10:25
What do we know so far?
A plane carrying 10 people went missing in rural Alaska during a brutal winter storm, with search and rescue crews scouring the ground and medical personnel “standing ready”.
The “overdue” aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was reported missing just before 4 p.m. local time on Thursday while en route from Unalakleet to Nome in the west of the state.
According to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety, nine passengers and a pilot were on board the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan on Bering Air Flight 445.
The plane took off from Unalakleet, a small community of 690 people, at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to the director of operations for Bering Air, David Olson. It went off radio roughly 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Nome.
It was approximately 12 miles offshore, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
James Liddell details what is known so far.
James Liddell7 February 2025 10:11
Watch: Major search launched as Bering Air plane goes missing
James Liddell7 February 2025 09:54
Pilot alerted Anchorage air traffic control before plane vanished
The plane pilot told air traffic control in Anchorage he had intended to enter a holding pattern – an oval course flown by aircraft awaiting further clearance – while waiting for the runway in Nome to be cleared before the aircraft disappeared, officials said.
James Liddell7 February 2025 09:41
Where did the aircraft go missing?
The Bering Air plane took off from Unalakleet, a small community of 690 people, at 2:37 p.m. local time on Thursday, and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to the director of operations for Bering Air, David Olson.
It went off radio roughly 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Nome.
The jet was reported missing just before 4 p.m. It was approximately 12 miles offshore, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
James Liddell 7 February 2025 09:38
