Authorities are actively searching for a Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX that vanished from radar on Thursday, February 6, 2025, while en route from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. The aircraft, carrying a pilot and nine passengers, disappeared over Alaska’s Norton Sound, approximately 12 miles offshore, just under an hour after its departure.
The missing flight marks the third significant aviation incident in the U.S. within the past week. On January 29, a collision between a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., resulted in 67 fatalities. Two days later, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing six individuals onboard and one person on the ground.
Search and rescue operations for the Bering Air plane are ongoing. Ground crews from the Nome Volunteer Fire Department are combing areas from Nome to Topkok, while the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Guard are conducting aerial searches. However, visibility remains limited due to light snow and fog, complicating efforts. Authorities have urged the public to refrain from independent search parties due to the dangerous weather conditions.
Bering Air, which serves 32 villages in western Alaska, noted that the Cessna was operating at its maximum capacity for passengers. Air travel in the region, particularly during the winter months, is often the only viable means of transportation.
The flight’s disappearance has left the Nome community in distress, and officials are working to gather further details about the flight’s trajectory. As of now, the identities of those onboard have not been released, and rescue operations continue around the clock.
With Alaska’s extreme weather and vast, rugged terrain, the search operation remains complex. Local leaders, including Alaska’s U.S. senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, as well as Rep. Nicholas Begich, have extended their thoughts and support to the families of the passengers, search teams, and the Nome community.
The search continues as authorities remain hopeful for a positive outcome despite the challenges posed by the adverse conditions.
