A small commuter plane carrying 10 people, including one pilot, crashed off the coast of western Alaska, killing all aboard.
The aircraft, operated by Bering Air, was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome when it disappeared on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
The wreckage was discovered the following day, Friday, February 7, 2025, approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome, resting on unstable sea ice.
Wreckage Found, No Survivors
Authorities confirmed that all 10 air passengers died in the crash.
Recovery teams, including personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, and the National Guard, are currently working in freezing temperatures and harsh weather conditions to retrieve the bodies and remove the aircraft before an incoming storm.
Jim West, Chief of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, stated at a Friday night press conference:
“We don’t know how long it’s going to take. It could go hours; it could go potentially days. The conditions out there are dynamic, so we’ve got to do it safely and as fast as we can.”
A Black Hawk helicopter was also deployed for the aircraft’s retrieval once victims’ remains are recovered.
Possible Cause of the Crash
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are examining the circumstances leading to the sudden loss of altitude and speed experienced by the Cessna Caravan aircraft at around 3:18 p.m. on Thursday.
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble noted that no distress signal was received before the plane went down, further complicating efforts to determine what actually caused the crash.
Weather conditions, mechanical failure, or pilot error are all possible factors under investigation.
“We are very much in the preliminary stages of the investigation,” said Clint Johnson, Chief of the NTSB’s Alaska Regional Office.
“Now that the wreckage has been found with 10 fatalities, it’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
A Community in Mourning
The crash has deeply impacted Nome’s small, close population.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined a Friday night vigil via video conference, stating:
“Words can’t express the loss we’re all feeling. We’re all connected in so many ways. It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss.”
Among those killed were two employees from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who were en route to service a vital heat recovery system in Unalakleet.
Ongoing Recovery Efforts and Incoming Storm
Officials are racing against time as the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory until Sunday night, warning of:
1. Wind gusts up to 45 mph
Five inches of snow accumulation
2. Mixed precipitation creating hazardous conditions
Despite the challenges, rescue teams remain committed to their mission.
“The goal right now is to bring folks home,” said Jim West.
The plane Crash is one of Alaska’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades.
