OAN Staff James Meyers
11:11 AM – Friday, February 7, 2025
Authorities are conducting an urgent search for an airplane that went missing carrying 10 people on its way to Nome, Alaska.
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A Bering Air flight from Unalakleet to Nome failed to land as scheduled at 4 p.m. on Thursday, causing local officials to scramble in search of the missing aircraft, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said.
The statement also announced that search and rescue crews from Alaska state troopers and the National Transportation Safety Board are searching to identify the plane’s last known coordinates.
Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard is also involved in the search.
The Department of Homeland Security military branch stated that a HC-130 Hercules airplane was dispatched from Air Station Kodiak to search “their last known position,” but as of Friday morning, the plane has yet to be found.
“The plane will not land, but will fly a grid pattern over the water and shoreline in attempts to locate the plane. The plane is equipped with specialized equipment for search and rescue that enables them to locate objects and people through no visibility conditions,” said the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, which is also conducting a ground search along the coastline.
According to the airlines website, Bering Air provides regional air service based out of Nome, with hubs in Kotzebue and Unalakleet.
“We operate scheduled passenger and cargo flights seven days a week out of each hub to 32 communities along the northwest coast of Alaska,” it said on its website.
The temperature was 17 degrees in Unalakleet with light snow and fog during takeoff, the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, fire officials have asked residents to not form search parties due to extreme weather that is considered potentially dangerous, according to Anchorage Daily News.
“We ask the public to please think of those who may be missing at this time, but due to weather and safety concerns please do not form individual search parties,” the fire department said.
The plane has been officially reported as “overdue” and still has not been classified as a crash or an accident, according to officials.
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