A small commercial aircraft with 10 people on board went missing in Alaska on Thursday, according to law enforcement.
Alaska state police reported that a Bering Air Caravan, carrying nine passengers and a pilot, was overdue on its journey from Unalakleet to Nome. The aircraft was last expected to arrive at 4:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (0100 GMT).
The two locations, separated by Norton Sound, are about 146 miles (235 kilometers) apart. Authorities confirmed that search and rescue teams are working to locate the plane’s last known position.
Bering Air, a regional airline based in Alaska, operates a fleet of approximately 39 aircraft, including planes and helicopters, according to FlightRadar24 data.
FlightRadar24 trackers recorded the last known position of the missing aircraft over water, 38 minutes after it departed Unalakleet at 2:38 p.m. local time (2338 GMT). The flight, which usually takes under an hour, never reached its destination.
Bering Air has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
Alaska’s Department of Public Safety reported that the aircraft was declared missing around 4:00 p.m. while en route from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot. Authorities are working to confirm its last known coordinates.
Unalakleet, a small town with about 690 residents, is located roughly 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (640 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department announced on social media that it had launched a ground search from Nome and White Mountain, as reported by the media. However, poor weather conditions have hindered air search efforts.
“Due to weather and visibility, we are currently limited in conducting aerial searches,” the department stated, advising residents against carrying out independent search missions due to hazardous conditions.
Footage from a Federal Aviation Administration weather camera near Nome showed near-whiteout conditions for several hours on Thursday afternoon, according to Alaska’s News Source.
Nome, historically recognized as a Gold Rush town, is located just south of the Arctic Circle and serves as the finish line for the 1,000-mile (1,610-kilometer) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
This incident is the latest in a series of recent aviation accidents in the United States. On January 30, a passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter collided midair over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board.
Shortly afterward, a medical aircraft crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighborhood, resulting in seven fatalities and 19 injuries.
