Recovery teams braved freezing temperatures and treacherous sea ice on Friday to recover the victims of a tragic plane crash off western Alaska’s coast. The regional commuter aircraft, which had nine passengers and one pilot on board, took off from Unalakleet on Thursday afternoon before vanishing. The plane was discovered the following day, about 34 miles southeast of Nome, its intended destination. Sadly, all 10 individuals aboard the plane were confirmed dead.
The wreckage is resting on unstable, young sea ice, and authorities are facing heavy snow and winds that are expected to worsen over the weekend. Recovery efforts will first focus on recovering the bodies, with the wreckage to be analyzed afterward.
The US Coast Guard Alaska confirmed on social media that they had located an aircraft matching the description of the missing plane. Officials said the plane was found roughly 34 miles southeast of Nome.
Jim West, Chief of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, spoke at a news conference on Friday, explaining that recovery teams were actively working on the site. He stressed the difficulty of the task, noting that recovering the wreckage and the bodies could take several hours or possibly days. He emphasized that the ever-changing conditions and incoming weather added uncertainty to the operation, but the teams would proceed as safely and quickly as possible.
A winter weather advisory has been issued through Sunday evening for parts of western Alaska, including Nome, with forecasts of snow, rain, and mixed precipitation. Some areas could receive up to five inches of snow, and ice accumulation of around a tenth of an inch is expected, along with gusty winds of up to 45 mph.
Authorities are working to understand the cause of the crash, focusing on the loss of altitude and speed the aircraft experienced. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating, and Clint Johnson, NTSB’s Alaska Regional Office Chief, mentioned they were in the early stages of the investigation. One of their investigators is already on-site with the Coast Guard.
The aircraft, a Cessna operated by Bering Air, was about 12 miles offshore when communication with it was lost, according to the Coast Guard. The plane reportedly experienced a sudden loss of altitude and speed around 3:18 p.m. Thursday.
The search was complicated by inclement weather and the absence of an emergency signal from the plane. By Friday morning, conditions had improved, allowing for clearer visibility. The National Guard and Coast Guard added additional search teams by helicopter, and a C-130 from the Coast Guard also joined the effort.
A vigil was held on Friday in Nome, where community members gathered to mourn the loss. Pastor Amanda Snyder urged those grieving to support each other and avoid isolation during this difficult time. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski also spoke at the vigil via video, expressing the heartbreak felt by many.
For Alaskans, small plane travel is commonplace due to the state’s vast geography and limited infrastructure, making this loss even more personal for the community.
Among the victims were two employees from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who had traveled to Unalakleet to service a critical heating system for the community’s water plant. The organization expressed deep sorrow at the loss, remembering them as passionate workers who made a significant impact in rural Alaskan communities.
Their deaths highlight the immense sacrifice they made in their service to others in a remote and often harsh environment.