Authorities have confirmed the deaths of all 10 people aboard a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft that crashed into Norton Sound near Nome, Alaska. Recovery teams continue efforts to retrieve the victims as investigators examine the cause of the crash.
The aircraft, operated by regional carrier Bering Air, was en route from Unalakleet to Nome on Thursday when it lost radar contact. The plane, carrying nine passengers and a pilot, went down about 34 miles (55 km) southeast of Nome, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Among the victims were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, employees of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. They had been traveling for maintenance work on a water plant, the organization confirmed Friday.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said nine investigators are on-site, supported by specialists in Washington, D.C. She stated that recovery efforts remain the priority, complicated by deteriorating weather conditions and the wreckage drifting on an ice floe moving five miles per day.
Bering Air issued a statement expressing condolences and pledging full cooperation with the investigation. Alaska State Troopers said they were alerted at 4 p.m. local time Thursday about an “overdue” aircraft. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department reported that the pilot had communicated intentions to hold until the runway was clear.
The U.S. Coast Guard later reported a rapid loss of altitude and speed before contact was lost. Visibility in the area was low at the time of the crash.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Gov. Mike Dunleavy shared condolences, with Dunleavy calling the incident “heartbreaking” and offering prayers for the victims’ families.
Unalakleet and Nome are about 150 miles apart across Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea. Officials continue working to recover the bodies and determine the cause of the crash.
