Search Underway for Missing Cessna Plane with 10 Aboard in Alaska
A search and rescue operation is underway in western Alaska for a Cessna plane carrying nine passengers and a pilot that went missing Thursday afternoon, CNN reports.
The Bering Air operated aircraft was en route from Unalakleet to Nome when it disappeared, prompting a coordinated response from local, state, and federal agencies.
The Alaska State Troopers were notified at 4 p.m. local time of the “overdue aircraft,” according to a statement released on their website. The plane, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, was last tracked by FlightRadar24 around 3:16 p.m. AKST over the Norton Sound. According to the US Coast Guard, the aircraft was approximately 12 miles offshore when contact was lost.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department is actively conducting ground searches from Nome and White Mountain, but acknowledged limitations due to poor weather conditions. Light snow and freezing drizzle were reported around Nome Airport, with visibility at times reduced to half a mile and wind gusts forecast up to 35 mph overnight.
The US Coast Guard and US Air Force have joined the search effort, deploying aircraft to scope out the area in hopes of locating the missing plane. The fire department noted that the Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft is equipped with “specialized equipment for search and rescue that enables them to locate objects and people through no visibility conditions.”
“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 fire department said on Facebook, urging the public to refrain from forming independent search parties due to safety concerns related to the weather.
Local hospitals are preparing to respond to any potential medical needs. The Norton Sound Health Corporation released a statement saying they are “standing ready to respond to a community medical emergency,” and the Norton Sound Regional Hospital has established a family center for loved ones of the passengers to gather and receive updates.
Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska addressed the situation on Facebook, writing:
“We are hearing reports of a possible missing plane en route to Nome. Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers, their families and the rescue crew.”
The search for the missing Cessna comes as US air safety investigators are already examining two recent deadly incidents, including a midair collision near Washington, D.C., and a fatal medevac jet crash in Philadelphia.
