Alaskan authorities have scrambled to try and locate a Bering Air plane which suddenly lost contact as it was flying over the remote state with 10 people on board
A frantic search is underway for a commercial plane that has disappeared mid-flight. The Bering Air aircraft lost contact while flying over Alaska, US, prompting authorities to launch a recovery operation.
Ten people, including the pilot, were on board the jet, which was declared “overdue” after failing to land in Nome, a remote coastal city in Alaska, at about 4pm local time on Thursday. The flight originated from Unalakleet within the same state.
Search teams are desperately trying to pinpoint the last known coordinates of the plane, but atrocious weather conditions have hampered the ability to conduct an aerial search. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department released a statement saying: “We are currently responding to a report of a missing Bering Air caravan.
“We are doing an active ground search from Nome and from White Mountain. Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time.
“National Guard and Coast Guard and Troopers have been notified and are active in the search. Norton Sound Health Corporation is standing by,” reports the Mirror.
A Federal Aviation Administration weather camera near Nome showed near-whiteout conditions on Thursday afternoon, as reported by Alaska’s News Source.
Authorities have cautioned the public against forming search parties due to the dangerous conditions. Unalakleet, the departure point of the ill-fated flight, is a small coastal area at the western tip of Alaska.
The department has issued a plea to the public, urging them not to launch their own search parties due to weather and safety concerns. Instead, they suggest that families in need of support should reach out to Norton Sound Health Corporation.
The last communication with the missing pilot was when he informed Anchorage Air Traffic Control of his plan to “enter a holding pattern” while waiting for the runway clearance. Alaska State Troopers released a statement saying: “AST was contacted by AKRCC in reference to an overdue aircraft.
“It was reported a Bering Air Caravan had gone missing while en route from Unalakleet to Nome, with 9 passengers and 1 pilot on board. SAR crews are working to get to the last known coordinates. Updates to follow.”
Nome, famed as the finish line of the gruelling 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, sits just below the Arctic Circle.
Bering Air, the Alaskan commercial airline involved, has been asked to comment on the incident. This alarming event in Alaska occurred just days after a tragic accident where 67 individuals perished when an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk Army helicopter collided over the Potomac River in Washington DC.