- A Bering Air flight that crashed with 10 people on board in Alaska has been found, authorities said.
- The US Coast Guard said there were no survivors.
- It is the third major air incident to have taken place in the US over the last 10 days.
A small Bering Air plane that crashed with 10 people on board in Alaska has been located, authorities have said.
The US Coast Guard said the aircraft was discovered around 34 miles southeast of Nome in western Alaska and that it believed there were no survivors.
A helicopter crew spotted the Cessna 208B and lowered two swimmers to investigate, the Coast Guard said. The rescuers found three people in the forward part of the plane “showing no signs of life,” it added.
“The remaining seven people are believed to be inside the aircraft, which was inaccessible due to the condition of the plane,” it said, adding that “the severity of the wreckage was beyond the possibility of survival.”
The plane was due to land in Nome from Unalakleet on Thursday when it was reported missing.
The Coast Guard reported wind speeds of 29 to 35 mph and snow with two miles of visibility at the scene at the time of the crash.
In a statement on its website, Bering Air offered its “sincerest condolences to everyone impacted.”
The airline added that it did not take the decision to resume flight operations “lightly” and that it was “deeply aware of the critical needs of the traveling public — whether for medical appointments, accessing life-saving medications, or other urgent travel needs.”
“We feel a deep responsibility to continue serving these needs, even as we cope with the profound impact of this tragedy,” the airline said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is now set to launch an investigation into the incident.
In a post on X on Friday, US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy wrote: “Say a prayer tonight for the 10 souls who lost their lives on the Bering Air flight in Alaska.”
He added that the Federal Aviation Administration would also provide an investigator.
It is the third major air incident to have taken place in the US over the last 10 days.
In late January, an American Airlines flight and a US military helicopter collided in midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.
Days later, a medical transport jet crashed in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground.
