Crews in Alaska have successfully recovered the remains of all ten victims from a devastating plane crash that occurred earlier this week. The crash, which happened in a remote region of the state, claimed the lives of those on board, including both passengers and crew members. Search and recovery efforts proved challenging due to harsh weather conditions and rugged terrain. Still, authorities have confirmed that all bodies have been retrieved, bringing some closure to the families of the victims.
“All ten individuals aboard the Bering Airplane have been officially brought home,” the Nome Volunteer Fire Department said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “Nome SAR efforts stand by for our Bering Aircrew to complete their aircraft recovery operations.”
On Thursday, a small commuter plane with nine passengers and a pilot departed from Unalakleet but soon lost contact with data showing "rapid loss in elevation and rapid loss in speed.” The wreckage was located the following day, roughly 34 miles southeast of Nome, its planned destination, as reported by the US Coast Guard. The wreckage is currently on sea ice, which officials have stated is unstable, and heavy snow and winds are anticipated to hit the area this weekend. A Black Hawk helicopter will later remove the plane from the water.
“They are on the ice as we speak,” Nome Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim West said. “The conditions out there are dynamic, and so we’ve got to do it safely and the fastest way we can.”
This was one of the deadliest plane crashes in Alaska in the past 25 years and was the third fatal U.S. plane collision in just eight days.
“Please know that we'll work diligently to determine how this happened with the ultimate goal of improving safety in Alaska and across the United States," National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said during a press conference.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Aviation Safety Office of Accident and Prevention had launched a thorough investigation.
The victims of the plane crash included 34-year-old pilot Chad Antill from Nome. Alaska State Troopers identified the passengers as 52-year-old Liane Ryan, 58-year-old Donnell Erickson, 30-year-old Andrew Gonzalez, 41-year-old Kameron Hartvigson, 46-year-old Rhone Baumgartner, 52-year-old Jadee Moncur; 45-year-old Ian Hofmann; 34-year-old Talaluk Katchatag; and 48-year-old Carol Mooers.
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