Crews rush to recover commuter plane found crashed on Alaska sea ice before expected snow and wind

his photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, shows a small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska on a flight that was bound for the hub community of Nome.

A small commuter plane en route to Nome, Alaska, crashed on Thursday, with all 10 people on board confirmed dead, making it one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the state in the past 25 years.

The wreckage was located Friday on sea ice about 30 miles southeast of Nome, where U.S. Coast Guard rescuers spotted the plane’s splintered remains. Two rescue swimmers were deployed to the scene, confirming no survivors.

Officials believe the Bering Air Cessna Caravan experienced a sudden and rapid loss in altitude and speed, though the cause remains unknown. No distress signals were received before the crash. Adverse weather conditions, including light snow and fog, were reported at the time of the incident.

Nome Mayor John Handeland expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing the resilience of the community in times of crisis. Meanwhile, recovery efforts face challenges due to unstable ice conditions and impending bad weather.

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched investigators to determine the cause of the crash. Flying remains an essential but often perilous means of transportation in Alaska, where many remote communities rely on small planes for travel and supplies.

This crash marks the third major U.S. aviation accident in just over a week, following deadly incidents in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.