Crews in Alaska are searching for a small commercial plane that disappeared with ten people aboard, local authorities reported on Friday, marking yet another incident in the recent spate of air emergencies in the US.
The Bering Air Caravan, carrying nine passengers and one pilot, was reported overdue on Thursday during its flight from Unalakleet to Nome at 4:00 pm Alaska Standard Time (01:00 GMT), according to Alaska state police.
The two cities are situated approximately 146 miles (235 km) apart, separated by the Norton Sound along the state’s western coast.
In a Facebook post, Nome’s volunteer fire department shared that “the pilot informed Anchorage air traffic control of his intention to enter a holding pattern while awaiting clearance for the runway” before the aircraft vanished.
The department further noted that the US Coast Guard has dispatched a C-130 aircraft to assist ground crews in the search for the missing plane.
In their latest update on Friday, they stated, “We do not have any new information on the whereabouts of the missing aircraft. Crews are continuing their ground search, trying to cover as much area as possible.”
The last known position of the plane, as transmitted on FlightRadar24, was over water approximately 40 minutes after takeoff.
This missing flight adds to a troubling series of aviation incidents that have unfolded recently in the United States.
On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a US Army helicopter over Washington, DC, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals on board both aircraft.
This disaster was closely followed by the crash of a medical plane into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, which claimed seven lives and injured 19 others.
AFP
