All 10 victims of the Bering Air plane crash in Alaska have been recovered, according to Alaska State Troopers.
The Bering Air Flight 445, a Cessna 208B, crashed into sea ice about 34 miles southeast of Nome on Thursday. The plane was on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome when it went missing in the afternoon. Onboard were nine passengers and the pilot, all adults.
Authorities confirmed that the bodies were recovered and transported to Nome, where they were identified.
The pilot was Chad Antill, 34, from Nome. The passengers were Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla; Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome; Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla; Kameron Hartvigson, 41, of Anchorage; Rhone Baumgartner, 46, of Anchorage; Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River; Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage; Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet; and Carol Mooers, 48, of Unalakleet.
Two of the passengers, Baumgartner and Hartvigson, worked for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. They were part of the environmental health and engineering team and had traveled to Unalakleet to maintain a heat recovery system critical to the community’s water plant. David Beveridge, a vice president of the consortium, praised their dedication and service.
The plane’s wreckage was found on Friday. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), stated that the cause of the crash is still unknown as investigations continue. The wreckage is on a moving ice floe, making recovery efforts more challenging.
Alaska State Troopers and the Coast Guard led the body recovery efforts, with assistance from the Alaska National Guard. The Guard deployed helicopters, a transport aircraft, and a team of rescue personnel.
A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the wreckage, and rescue swimmers were sent down to examine the site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the plane disappeared from radar at around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday. According to radar data, the aircraft suffered a sudden loss in altitude around 3:18 p.m.
The Coast Guard and other agencies, including the Alaska Army National Guard and Nome Volunteer Fire Department, were involved in the search and rescue operations. Investigators are continuing their work to determine what caused the crash.
