Search teams have located a crashed plane that was carrying 10 individuals and had vanished from radar along Alaska’s western coast after a sudden loss of altitude and speed, according to officials on Friday.

Authorities believe that all individuals onboard are presumed dead, stated Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno, a representative for the U.S. Coast Guard.

During a press briefing, Salerno mentioned that a Coast Guard helicopter located the wreck and deployed two rescue swimmers for a closer look. They discovered three bodies inside the plane, which showed no signs of life. The remaining seven passengers are thought to still be in the aircraft, but rescuers could not reach them immediately due to the damage sustained in the crash, Salerno reported.

The wreckage was found approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome. A photograph shared by the Coast Guard depicted a heavily damaged small aircraft scattered across the snow, with dark debris visible under clear skies.

“The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska extends its deepest sympathies to all those impacted by this unfortunate incident,” they stated.

The recovery of the wreckage followed an extensive search effort that faced challenges from inclement weather and reduced visibility. Firefighters conducted ground searches spanning from Nome to Topkok, while a U.S. Coast Guard flight crew surveyed the area from the air.

The turboprop Cessna Caravan, operated by Bering Air, was declared missing on Thursday afternoon, as per the Alaska Department of Public Safety. The aircraft, which had nine passengers along with a pilot, was en route from Unalakleet to Nome when it lost contact 12 miles off the coast, the U.S. Coast Guard clarified.

Around 3:18 p.m. Thursday, the plane encountered a situation that caused it to drop altitude sharply while simultaneously reducing speed over the Norton Sound. Lt. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble from the Coast Guard stated during a Friday news conference that the specific cause of this event is still unknown.

As of 9 a.m. local time on Friday, all families of the passengers have been informed, reported the Nome Volunteer Fire Department. Alaska State Trooper Lt. Ben Endres confirmed that all individuals on the flight were adults on a scheduled commercial journey.

Just before noon on Friday, officials were informed that a searching aircraft detected an unidentified “item of interest” and efforts were underway to identify it, McIntyre-Coble added.

Prior to the plane going missing, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department reported that the pilot had communicated with Anchorage Air Traffic Control, indicating his intention to enter a holding pattern while awaiting runway clearance.

Moreover, the plane did not send out an Emergency Locator Transmitter distress signal, which would typically activate in the event of a crash or contact with seawater, McIntyre-Coble explained.

This event occurs amid heightened scrutiny of U.S. air travel and aviation safety, following the tragic collision of a passenger jet with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C., which resulted in 67 fatalities, as well as a Medevac jet crash in Philadelphia that caused seven deaths and injured over 20 individuals.

Key details about the missing Alaska flight and search area

The aircraft was operating over regions of Alaska that are not reachable by vehicular means. Here are essential facts about the area and the flight:

Location of the plane: Live flight-tracking site FlightRadar24 indicates that the aircraft’s last known position was over water, 38 minutes after departing Unalakleet, which typically takes under an hour to fly to Nome.

Bering Air: Bering Air is a family-run airline based in Nome, operational since 1979, offering regular regional flights, charter services, and cargo transport. They provide scheduled services between Nome and Unalakleet, which are located about 150 miles apart across Western Alaska, next to the Bering Sea. The airline operates both planes and helicopters.

Nome, Alaska: Nome has historical significance as a gold rush town and is known as the endpoint of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. With a population of about 3,700, the city is only reachable via dog sled, snowmobile, boat, and plane, per the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Unalakleet, Alaska: Described on Travel Alaska’s website as the southernmost Iñupiaq village in the state, Unalakleet has a community of around 800 people and is accessible solely by air, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Plane model: The missing aircraft is identified as a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, with the tail number N321BA according to FlightRadar24. Cessna states that the Grand Caravan® EX turboprop was designed for demanding missions, capable of carrying heavy loads and operating from short, rugged runways while providing economical single-engine operation.

-Eve Chen

NTSB initiates investigation into Alaskan crash

The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Friday that it would be investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic plane crash.

Clint Johnson, the head of the NTSB’s Alaska region, mentioned during a news conference that the agency became aware of the incident on Thursday afternoon and has been monitoring its developments. One investigator is currently on-site with the Coast Guard to document the wreckage, while nine additional personnel are en route to assist.

He also noted that NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is traveling to Alaska and is expected to arrive on Saturday afternoon.

“We are still in the preliminary stages of this investigation,” Johnson remarked.

Alaska faces high rate of plane accidents

Data from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health indicates that Alaska experiences a disproportionate share of air taxi and commuter plane accidents in comparison to other states in the U.S.

Alaska is characterized by its rugged landscape and unpredictable weather conditions. Many of its remote communities lack road connections, making small aircraft essential for transport and freight services.

Bering Air operates around 39 planes and helicopters, as per information from flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Earlier on Thursday evening, local fire officials noted that flight support was also being provided by Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage.

Recent aviation incidents in the US

The recent occurrence adds to a series of aviation incidents in the U.S. over the past weeks, including two deadly crashes in late January. Other significant incidents have transpired at major airports in cities like Chicago, Seattle, and Houston, YSL News previously reported.

On Saturday, a ground crew member sustained critical injuries when a passenger plane collided with a tug at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The following day, a United Airlines flight traveling from Houston to New York was evacuated due to an engine malfunction.

On Wednesday, an incident at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport occurred when a parked Delta Air Lines plane was struck by a taxiing Japan Airlines plane; fortunately, no injuries were reported.

On January 29, a passenger jet belonging to American Airlines collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., resulting in 67 fatalities in the gravest air disaster in over 20 years. Just days later, a Medevac jet tragically crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, causing seven deaths and injuring more than 20 others.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

Contributing: Reuters