San Jose (California) [US], February 9: The US Coast Guard on Friday said that it located the wreckage of a light plane which went missing with 10 people on board in Alaska a day earlier, confirming at least three deaths.
The Coast Guard on Friday afternoon said that it had ended its search for a missing Cessna 208B Grand Caravan believed to have had one pilot and nine passengers on board when it went missing on Thursday at 4 pm local time (0100 GMT Friday).
The wreckage was found some 55 kilometres south-east of Nome, on Alaska's western coast. "3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased," the Coast Guard said on social media platform X in a post also carrying a photo of a badly damaged aircraft in a snowy area.
"The remaining 7 people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane," the Coast Guard continued.
Coastguard spokesperson Mike Salerno told a news conference that two of its personnel had gotten close enough to the wreckage to see three bodies inside.
"Unfortunately, it does not appear to be a survivable crash," Salerno said.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said he and his wife were "heartbroken".
"Our prayers are with the families, friends, and communities mourning this tragedy," Dunleavy said on X.
"We are grateful to the search teams who worked tirelessly to locate the aircraft. I ask all Alaskans to keep those affected in their thoughts and prayers." Senator Lisa Murkowski, who represents Alaska, also expressed her sadness at the news. "Alaska is a big small town. When tragedy strikes, we're never far removed from the Alaskans directly impacted. But that also means we come together as a community to grieve and heal," Murkowski said on X.
The Bering Airplane was travelling from Unalakeet to Nome, some 235 kilometres north-east across the Norton Sound, when it went missing, according to Alaska State Troopers.The plane's last known location was over a stretch of water about 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Nome.
The cause of the incident was initially unknown. This is the third notable US aviation incident in just over a week.
On January 31, an American Airlines passenger plane carrying 64 people and a military helicopter with three crewmen collided mid-air in Washington. Authorities say the crash killed all 67 people on board the two aircraft.
A day later, a private Learjet 55 medical aircraft crashed in a busy north-east area of Philadelphia one minute after taking off, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board. Both crashes are under investigation.
Source: Qatar Tribune
