What We Know About the Alaska Plane Crash That Claimed 10 Lives

JUNEAU, Alaska—Efforts are underway to recover the wreckage of a plane that crashed in western Alaska, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals, while investigators work to ascertain the cause of the small commuter aircraft’s descent into the icy Bering Sea.

The single-engine turboprop was en route from Unalakleet to Nome when it vanished on Thursday afternoon. The Bering Air plane was located the following day after a thorough search operation. Tragically, nine passengers and the pilot lost their lives.

On Saturday, teams were hurrying to retrieve the wreckage and the remains of the victims before anticipated heavy winds and snowfall hit the region.

Here’s what you need to know about this tragic plane crash, which marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in Alaska in the past quarter-century.

Plane Disappeared Near Nome

Authorities indicated that contact with the Cessna Caravan was lost less than an hour after its departure from Unalakleet on Thursday. This was a regularly scheduled commuter flight, and the aircraft went missing approximately 30 miles southeast of Nome.

The wreckage was discovered on Friday by rescuers conducting aerial searches using helicopters. A combination of local, state, and federal agencies combed vast areas of frozen waters and tundra before locating the aircraft.

Once the bodies are recovered, a Black Hawk helicopter will be employed to transport the aircraft, according to officials.

Unalakleet, home to around 690 residents, is located about 150 miles southeast of Nome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage. It is situated along the Iditarod trail, which is the route for the world-renowned sled dog race.

Nome, located just south of the Arctic Circle, is famously known as the concluding point of the 1,000-mile Iditarod race.

Ongoing Investigation into Crash Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board is deploying teams from various states to investigate the incident.

Radar data obtained from the U.S. Civil Air Patrol indicated that the plane lost altitude and speed rapidly, although the reasons behind this remain unclear, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble noted that there were no distress signals received from the aircraft. Typically, when a plane is submerged in seawater, an emergency locating transmitter sends a signal to a satellite, which then communicates to the Coast Guard; however, no such alerts were recorded.

Importance of Aviation in Alaska

The remote and expansive nature of Alaska, coupled with its limited infrastructure, makes air travel a vital means of transportation. Many communities lack access to the developed road networks serving the state’s most populated areas.

High school teams often fly to compete against rival schools, and various goods are delivered to many communities via air or barge.

Passengers on Board

Officials confirmed that all 10 individuals on the aircraft were adults.

Among the deceased were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who had journeyed to Unalakleet for maintenance work on a critical heat recovery system serving the local water facility, as stated by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

The identities of the other victims have yet to be disclosed.

Other Recent Plane Crashes in the U.S.

The tragic crash in Alaska represents the third major aviation disaster in the United States within the past eight days.

A collision between a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter occurred near the nation’s capital on January 29, resulting in 67 fatalities.

On January 31, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing six onboard and another individual on the ground.

By Becky Bohrer