Small Commercial Flight Reported Missing in Alaska
A small commercial flight with ten people on board has gone missing in Alaska, prompting search and rescue efforts amidst adverse weather conditions.
A small commercial flight carrying 10 people was reported missing Thursday in the northwestern US state of Alaska, according to law enforcement.
Alaska state police said a Bering Air Caravan with nine passengers and one pilot on board was reported overdue on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome at 4.00pm Alaska Standard Time.
The two cities are located roughly 235 kilometres apart across the Norton Sound.
Search and rescue crews "are working to get to the last known coordinates" of the flight, authorities stated.
The Bering plane, carrying nine passengers and one pilot, was possibly affected by adverse weather and visibility problems, according to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department.
"We are currently doing an active ground search from Nome and from White Mountain and have as much up-to-date information on the event as possible," the fire department wrote in a statement.
The Alaskan National Guard and Coast Guard are also engaged in the search for the Nome-bound plane that seemed to disappear without a trace.
Medics with Norton Sound Health Corporation are currently on standby to render aid to the plane occupants in anticipation of a possible crash scenario.
At the same time, fire officials are asking individuals not to form search parties at this time due to extreme weather which could lead to further missing people.
The missing flight is the latest incident in a recent string of aviation disasters in the United States. On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a US Army helicopter in the capital city of Washington, killing all 67 people aboard. This disaster was closely followed by the crash of a medical plane into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, killing seven and injuring 19.
