Missing Plane Search Underway in Alaska: Authorities Act Swiftly

Alaska officials are working around the clock as they track a small Cessna Caravan that has gone missing with ten individuals on board, including a pilot and nine passengers, on a flight between Unalakleet and Nome.

U.S. authorities in Alaska are actively searching for a missing small plane, a Cessna Caravan, that carried a total of ten people. The plane lost contact while flying approximately 12 miles (19 km) offshore, en route from Unalakleet to Nome. The two cities are separated by about 146 miles across the Norton Sound, a part of the Bering Sea on Alaska's western coast.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska announced that they received notification regarding the aircraft at around 16:00 local time (01:00 GMT Thursday), classified as “overdue.” Search and rescue teams are currently mobilizing to reach the last known coordinates of the flight.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety reported that the ten individuals onboard consisted of nine passengers along with the pilot; however, their identities have not been disclosed. The agency has reached out to Bering Air, the airline that operated the flight, for further details but has yet to receive a response.

According to reports from the volunteer fire department in Nome, the pilot had communicated with air traffic control, indicating his intention to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared. This initial detail adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing search efforts as authorities hope to locate the missing aircraft swiftly, in what has become a critical situation for all involved.