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A plane carrying 10 people that disappeared mid-flight in rural Alaska during a dangerous winter storm has been found, alongside three bodies, authorities have confirmed.
On Friday, shortly after 2 p.m. local time the U.S. Coast Guard announced the aircraft had been found approximately 34 miles southeast of of Nome in the west of the state. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident,” the USCG said.
Authorities previously said Bering Air Flight 455 suffered “some kind of event” before that caused it to “rapidly lose altitude and speed.”
Authorities had been scouring the ground for survivors in “zero visibility conditions,” while warning the public against embarking on private rescue missions since the aircraft was reported missing just before 4 p.m. local time on Thursday.
The plane took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. before losing contact with the air traffic control tower less than an hour later, according to Bering Air’s director of operations, David Olson. It was about 12 miles offshore flying over the Norton Sound – about 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival in Nome.
All families of passengers on the missing flight have been notified, the fire department said Friday.
Watch: Major search launched as Bering Air plane goes missing in Alaska with 10 onboard
Mike Bedigan8 February 2025 00:00
Coast Guard confirms aircraft discovery
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 23:46
Breaking: Missing flight found, authorities say
A plane matching the one that went missing in Alaska with 10 aboard has been found, authorities say.
Three bodies were also found along with the aircraft, the Associated Press reported.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 23:34
Alaska incident third U.S. aviation disaster in just over a week
The disappearance of the Bering flight is the third aviation disaster in 10 days.
A mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., took the lives of 67 people last Wednesday.
Two days later, a medical jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia, killing seven people, including all six passengers on board.
The National Transport Safety Board is investigating all three incidents.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 23:30
Sub-zero conditions recorded at time of disappearance
Officials said that at the time of the flight’s disappearance, conditions were below zero in both the air and the sea.
Lt. Cmdr. Ben McIntyre-Coble told reporters on Friday that the air was about 3 degrees Fahrenheit, with a sea water temperature of about 29 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 23:01
Recap: What happened to the vanished Bering air flight near Nome
Following Friday’s press conference update, here’s what we know so far about the missing Alaska flight:
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 22:30
'Item of interest' found in search for missing aircraft
Search teams have identified an 'item of interest' in the Alaska rescue mission, officials said on Friday.
A representative from the U.S. Coast Guard said the item was found by an aircraft not involved with the search.
Authorities have deployed an aircraft to the area to verify if the “item” is connected to the missing plane.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 22:00
Operations still an 'active search and rescue'
The U.S. Coast Guard says that currently, operations are still in the “search and rescue” stages, rather than a “recovery” mission.
A spokesperson from the USCG said: “Speaking entirely from the Coast Guard's perspective, this is an active search and rescue case, so we are operating under the assumption right now that there are still people who are in a position to be assisted by the United States Coast Guard.
“We continue to have air assets overhead and are in close coordination with the with the local authorities, including the Alaska State Troopers, to provide potentially on-the-ice assistance to any persons who might be found.
“But at this time we are still considering that this is an active search and rescue case, and we have no immediate intentions to change the status of the case in the near term.”
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 21:45
All passengers on missing flight were adults
All 10 passengers on the missing Bering flight were adults, officials have confirmed.
Coast Guard Luitenant Commander McIntyre Cobel said that the trip was a “regularly scheduled commuter flight” at a press conference on Friday.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 21:30
Unspecified 'event' caused missing aircraft to drop off radars
An unspecified “event” caused the Bering Air Flight 445 to drop off the radars, officials have said.
Coast Guard Luitenant Commander McIntyre Cobel said that “some kind of event” caused the aircraft to “rapidly lose altitude and speed.”
He said he could not comment on the nature of the event, and added that investigations are ongoing.
Mike Bedigan7 February 2025 21:20