10 passengers believed dead as wreckage of commercial flight found in Alaska

A commercial flight that missing in a remote corner of the United States has been found, with all 10 people on board believed dead.

All 10 people on board a passenger plane that vanished while flying through the northwestern US state of Alaska are believed dead, authorities say.

Alaska state police said a Bering Air plane with nine passengers and one pilot on board was reported overdue on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome at 4.00pm, Thursday, local time (Friday, 12 noon, AEDT).

The US Coast Guard reported on Saturday, Australian time, the search had ended after the aircraft was located 55kms southeast of Nome, Alaska.

“3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased,” the agency wrote on X.

“The remaining 7 people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane.

“Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident.”

The communities of Unalakleet to Nome are located 235 kilometres apart across the Norton Sound, in Alaska’s far west, close to Russia which is across the Bering Strait.

The remains of a plane reported missing February 6. Picture: US Coast Guard/AFP

A Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Nome, Alaska. Picture: CC BY-SA 4.0 VIA Quintin Soloviev

The Governor of Alaska Michael Dunleavy released a statement on behalf of he and his wife following the news there were no survivors.

Mr Dunleavy said they were “heartbroken” over the fate of the ten people on board.

“Our prayers are with the families, friends, and communities mourning this tragedy,” he said.

“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.”

The crash is the latest incident in a string of aviation disasters in the US.

On January 30, a passenger jet collided midair with a US Army helicopter in Washington, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

The disaster was followed closely by the crash of a medical plane into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, killing seven and injuring 19.

‘Some kind of event’

According to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, Bering flight 8E445 was possibly affected by adverse weather and visibility problems.

The pilot last communication was to tell air traffic control that he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared.

“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 on Facebook at the time.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander McIntyre Cobel said the plane encountered “some kind of event” that caused it to “rapidly lose altitude and speed”.

The local fire department said a C-130 Hercules Coast Guard plane was “planning to scope the area and see if they can get a visual of the plane”.

“Ground crews have covered ground all along the coast from Nome to Topkok.”

Bering Air specialises in connecting Alaska’s remote and sparsely populated communities. It has a good safety record.

The flight from Unalakleet to Nome failed to land as scheduled at 4pm local time, sending local and federal officials into a mad dash to locate the missing aircraft. Picture: Alaskas News Source

At the same time, fire officials are asking individuals not to form search parties due to extreme weather, which could result in further missing people, according to Anchorage Daily News.

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.

The disaster was followed closely by the crash of a medical plane into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, killing seven and injuring 19.