Bering Air flight carrying 10 people disappears over Alaska, search operation underway

The missing aircraft's last position over water was tracked 38 minutes after departing Unalakleet, Alaska at 2.38 pm local time Thursday (2338 GMT).

A small commercial aircraft carrying 10 people went missing on Thursday in Alaska, according to law enforcement, AFP reported.

Bering Air, a regional airline based in Alaska, operates a fleet of about 39 aircraft, including planes and helicopters.

Alaska state police said that a Bering Air Caravan, carrying nine passengers and a pilot, was overdue on its flight from Unalakleet to Nome. The aircraft was last expected at 4.00 pm Alaska Standard Time (0100 GMT).

The two locations are approximately 146 miles (235 kilometres) apart, separated by Norton Sound. Authorities confirmed that search and rescue teams are working to reach the plane's last known coordinates.

Bering Air, a regional airline based in Alaska, operates a fleet of about 39 aircraft, including planes and helicopters, according to FlightRadar24 date.

Where was it last detected?

The last recorded position of the missing aircraft, flying over water, was detected by FlightRadar24 trackers 38 minutes after it departed Unalakleet at 2.38 pm local time on Thursday (2338 GMT). The flight, which typically takes under an hour, did not reach its destination.

Bering Air has not yet responded to requests for comment.

According to Alaska's Department of Public Safety, the Bering Air Caravan was reported missing around 4 pm while travelling from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot. Officials are working to determine its last known coordinates.

Unalakleet, a small community with approximately 690 residents, is located about 150 miles (240 kilometres) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (640 kilometres) northwest of Anchorage.

The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said on social media that it was conducting a ground search from Nome and White Mountain, Associated Press reported. However, adverse weather conditions have limited air search efforts.

“Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time,” the department said, urging residents not to conduct independent search operations due to the dangerous conditions.

Footage from a Federal Aviation Administration weather camera near Nome showed near-whiteout conditions for several hours on Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska’s News Source.

Nome, historically known as a Gold Rush town, is located just south of the Arctic Circle and serves as the finishing point for the 1,000-mile (1,610-kilometer) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

This incident adds to a series of recent aviation accidents in the United States. On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a US Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., resulting in the deaths of all 67 people on board.

Shortly after, a medical aircraft crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, killing seven people and injuring 19 others.

(With inputs from agencies)