A small commuter plane carrying ten people vanished shortly after taking off from Unalakleet on Thursday and was located the next day approximately 54 kilometres southeast of Nome, its intended destination. Tragically, all on board were confirmed deceased. The wreckage is situated on unstable sea ice, and recovery efforts are complicated by severe weather conditions, with officials warning of heavy snow and wind in the coming days.
Recovery teams, including divers, have been deployed to retrieve the bodies and assess the wreckage; however, the timeframe for this operation remains uncertain. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are analysing air traffic control data to understand the cause of the crash, which involved a sudden drop in altitude and speed.
A vigil was held in Nome to support the grieving community, which is accustomed to air travel due to Alaska’s vast landscape. Among the victims were two employees from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, who were on a mission to assist the local infrastructure during winter.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy acknowledged the tragedy’s profound impact on the tight-knit community, assuring that the investigation aims to enhance aviation safety in Alaska and beyond.