Rescue crews in Alaska continued searching Friday for a small commercial plane that went missing with 10 people onboard, local authorities reported.
The Bering Air Caravan, carrying nine passengers and one pilot, was reported overdue on Thursday after departing from Unalakleet for Nome at 4:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (0100 GMT), according to Alaska State Police.
The two cities, located on the state’s west coast, are approximately 146 miles (235 kilometers) apart across the Norton Sound.
According to a Facebook post by Nome’s volunteer fire department, the pilot informed Anchorage air traffic control that he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared. Shortly after, the aircraft disappeared.
The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed a C-130 aircraft to assist ground crews in the search.
As of Friday, Nome’s fire department stated, “We do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft. Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible.”
The last known position of the plane, recorded on FlightRadar24, was over the water about 40 minutes after takeoff.
This incident adds to a series of recent aviation tragedies in the United States.
On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. Shortly after, a medical plane crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, leaving seven dead and 19 injured.
