Crews are actively working to recover the bodies of ten individuals who lost their lives in a plane crash near Nome, Alaska. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), announced that the investigation is still in its early stages, making it difficult to determine the cause of the accident at this time.
The ill-fated flight involved a Cessna Grand Caravan, operated by Bering Air, which was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome when it lost radar contact. The aircraft, carrying a pilot and nine passengers, went down in Norton Sound, approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome, a small city with a population of around 3,500.
Among those deceased were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who were identified as employees of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Their organization stated they had been on a mission to perform maintenance work at a water facility in Unalakleet when the tragedy occurred.
Homendy noted that nine investigators are currently on-site, supported by specialists in Washington, D.C. She expressed condolences to families affected by the tragic incident, recognizing the emotional weight of such a loss.
Recovery operations face challenges due to deteriorating weather conditions, as the plane's wreckage landed on an ice floe that is drifting five miles daily, complicating retrieval efforts.
The Alaska State Troopers were alerted to an "overdue" aircraft, which lost contact after the pilot communicated to air traffic that he intended to hold before entering the cleared runway. The U.S. Coast Guard reported a sudden decrease in altitude and speed prior to the loss of communication with the aircraft.
Local officials, including Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski and Governor Mike Dunleavy, extended their heartfelt condolences, emphasizing the tight-knit nature of Alaskan communities and the shared grief felt across the state.
As the investigation unfolds, Bering Air confirmed it would cooperate fully while offering its condolences to those impacted by this tragic accident.
