Authorities in Alaska have launched a search for a small commercial plane that went missing with 10 people on board, including nine passengers and one pilot.
The Bering Air Caravan was reported overdue on Thursday, February 6, 2025, after departing from Unalakleet for Nome at 4:00 pm Alaska Standard Time (0100 GMT). The two cities, located on Alaska’s west coast, are separated by approximately 146 miles (235 km) across Norton Sound.
According to Nome’s volunteer fire department, the pilot had informed Anchorage air traffic control of his plan to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared. However, the aircraft disappeared shortly after that transmission.
The U.S. Coast Guard has since deployed a C-130 aircraft to aid ground search teams in locating the missing plane. As of Friday, search efforts were still ongoing.
“We do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft,” the fire department stated. “Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible.”
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed that the plane’s last known position was over water, approximately 40 minutes after takeoff.
This incident adds to a series of recent aviation accidents in the United States. On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter in Washington, killing 67 people. Shortly after, a medical plane crashed in Philadelphia, resulting in seven deaths and 19 injuries.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the Alaska plane’s disappearance, and search efforts are continuing.
