A plane with ten people on board has disappeared while flying from Unalakleet to Nome, both locations in western Alaska. The search for the plane is being hindered by bad weather in the area. The State Police Agency received a notification about the delayed aircraft at 4:00 p.m. local time. According to a statement published on their website, a Bering Air plane disappeared while heading from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot on board.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department has indicated on its Facebook profile that an active land search is underway. However, due to the climate and visibility, the aerial search is currently limited. The department has asked the population not to form individual search groups, stating that search and rescue teams are working to reach the last known coordinates of the plane. Updates on the search will be provided soon.
The plane took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. and was last seen in the Norton Sound area of the Bering Sea at 3:16 p.m., approximately 12 miles from the coast, according to the US Coast Guard. The search for the plane began around 4:00 p.m. The cause of the disappearance is currently unknown, but bad weather has been reported in the area. The US Coast Guard has sent a C-130 plane to search the area, while the US Air Force is deploying air support from the Elmendorf Air Base. Ground teams are also actively searching the area for any signs of the missing plane.