Rescue Crews Search for Missing Alaska Plane Carrying 10 People

Rescue crews in Alaska are searching for a small commercial plane that went missing with 10 people on board, local authorities confirmed on Friday.

The Bering Air Caravan, carrying nine passengers and one pilot, was reported overdue after departing from Unalakleet for Nome at 4:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (0100 GMT) on Thursday, according to Alaska State Police.

The two cities, located about 146 miles (235 km) apart, are separated by the Norton Sound on Alaska’s west coast.

According to Nome’s volunteer fire department, the pilot informed Anchorage air traffic control that he planned to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared. However, shortly afterward, the plane disappeared.

The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed a C-130 aircraft to assist ground crews in the search. As of Friday, officials reported no new information on the aircraft’s location, stating that search efforts continue on the ground across as wide an area as possible.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the plane’s last known position over the water approximately 40 minutes after takeoff.

This incident adds to a series of recent aviation disasters in the U.S. On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board. Days later, a medical plane crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, leaving seven dead and 19 injured.