A Bering Air Caravan carrying nine passengers and a pilot vanished over the Bering Sea off Alaska on Thursday. Authorities are conducting an extensive search operation despite challenging weather conditions.
Crews in Alaska are scouring the vast expanse of the Bering Sea for a missing plane that vanished Thursday afternoon with 10 souls on board. Alaska State Troopers were alerted at 4 p.m. local time that a Bering Air Caravan en route from Unalakleet to Nome was overdue. The aircraft carried nine passengers and a pilot, but their identities remain unknown at this time. This incident marks the third major aviation tragedy in the United States within just eight days.
On January 29, an American Eagle flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., resulting in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. A medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia on January 31, tragically claiming the lives of seven individuals, including six on board and one person on the ground.According to David Olson, Director of Operations for Bering Air, the Caravan departed Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. local time. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department revealed on Facebook that the pilot had informed Air Traffic Control of his intention to enter a holding pattern while awaiting runway clearance. A Coast Guard search and rescue aircraft, deployed from Air Station Kodiak, sped towards the missing plane's last known position, 12 miles offshore, as reported by a statement on X. FlightRadar data indicated that a Bering Air flight last transmitted information at 3:16 p.m. over Norton Sound. The Hercules HC-130 aircraft was equipped with advanced technology designed to locate even in conditions of zero visibility, and conducted a meticulous grid search pattern over both the water and the shoreline. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage also provided vital flight support for the search operation.Ground crews diligently combed a stretch of coastline spanning from Nome to Topkok, as stated by the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, who emphasized their unwavering commitment to exploring every possible avenue until the plane is located. However, the department acknowledged the significant limitations imposed by the prevailing weather and visibility conditions, stating that air search operations were severely curtailed. Public safety was paramount, and individuals were strongly advised against forming their own search parties due to the hazardous weather conditions. By early Friday morning, the fire department reported a lack of any updated information regarding the aircraft's whereabouts. Search efforts continued on the ground, with crews painstakingly covering as much territory as possible. The National Guard C-130 reported finding no trace of the missing aircraft. An FAA weather camera near Nome purportedly captured near-whiteout conditions persisting for several hours on Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska's News Source. The weather conditions at Unalakleet, where the plane departed, were reported as 17 degrees Fahrenheit with light snow falling and fog reducing visibility, as per the National Weather Service. The National Guard and state troopers were actively involved in the search and rescue endeavors. The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents, is closely monitoring the situation. However, the agency's formal investigations are initiated only after the fate of the aircraft is determined. The NTSB maintains a dedicated team stationed in Alaska throughout the year
Alaska Plane Crash Missing Aircraft Bering Air Search And Rescue Unalakleet Nome Aviation Accident
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