Search Underway for Missing Bering Air Plane with Ten People Aboard in Alaska
Authorities are conducting a search for a missing Bering Air plane that was carrying nine passengers and one pilot on board. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, operating as Flight 445, lost contact less than 60 minutes after departing from Unalakleet at 2:38 p.m. on Thursday.
The flight was en route from Unalakleet, a small community in western Alaska, to Nome, a historic gold rush town just south of the Arctic Circle. The typical flight time is under an hour. Officials are working to determine the last known position of the aircraft.
In a Facebook post, Nome’s fire department stated they are conducting an active ground search from both Nome and White Mountain. The department requested that the public refrain from organizing individual search parties due to weather and safety concerns, and to keep those involved in the search in their thoughts.
Bering Air, which serves 32 villages across western Alaska, provides critical air travel services in rural areas where long distances make flying the most viable option, especially during the winter months.
