JUNO, Alaska – The remains of all 10 people killed when a small plane crashed into ice in the Bering Sea have been recovered, authorities said.
The Norm Volunteer Fire Station made an announcement on its Facebook page Saturday afternoon. Recovery crews were competing to recover their bodies before winter storms were expected to hit the area.
“All 10 people on the Bering plane were officially taken home,” the fire department wrote in a social media post around 3pm.
The crew were still working on collecting the aircraft, the fire department said.
The Bering Air Single-Engine Turboprop plane had been redirected from Unalakleet to the Nome Hub community when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. After a massive search that killed all nine passengers and pilots, it was discovered the following day, becoming one of the state’s most deadly plane crashes in 25 years.
The aircraft is located in the bubble of drifting ice about five miles per day, creating difficult conditions for National Road Safety Commission Chairman Jennifer Hotendy to recover at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
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“Know we’re working hard to determine how this happened with our ultimate goal of improving safety in Alaska and the United States as a whole,” Homendy said.
As the community tried to handle the fatal event, the crew quickly worked with unstable slimy sea ice to recover their bodies and debris. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory. Snow and wind are expected to arrive in the area on Saturday night and are expected to continue on Sunday evening.
Among those killed in the crash were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson. According to the Alaska-born Tribal Health Consortium, they were travelling to Unalakleet to serve heat recovery systems essential to the community’s water plants.
“It will be felt throughout Alaska that these two incredible individuals and everyone else on the plane will be defeated by all of Alaska,” he said. President David Beveridge said in a statement.
Pilot, 34-year-old gnome Chad Antille, was also killed. Other victims ranged from 30 to 58 years of age.
According to Ben Endless Middles of Troopers, Alaska, the flight was a regular scheduled commuter trip.
Photos provided by the Coast Guard showed the plane’s split bodies and debris lying on sea ice. The two brightly colored, emergency people went around the wreckage.
“It’s difficult to accept the reality of our losses,” Sen. Lisa Markowski (R-Araska) said at an evening press conference.
Norm Mayor John Handland was suffocated as he discussed death and response efforts.
“Gnomes are a strong community and in challenging times we will come together to support each other. I will be working to recover from this tragic incident, so I will be in the coming days. We expect the supply of support will continue for the time being,” Handland said.
According to Beringair operations director David Olson, Cessna Caravan left Alan Lead at 2:37pm on Thursday, and authorities lost contact with it even an hour later. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature was 17 degrees Fahrenheit, with light snow and fog.
The Coast Guard said the aircraft about 30 miles southeast of Gnome has gone missing.
Forensic data from radar provided by US civil aviation patrols said that the plane “has some kind of event, experiencing rapid losses in elevation and rapid losses in speed,” Coast Guard said. It showed that there is a CMDR. Benjamin McIntyre Coble said. “I can’t guess what that event is.”
McIntyre-Coble said he was unaware of the pain signals from the aircraft. The plane has a transmitter in an emergency location. When exposed to seawater, the device sends a signal to the satellite, and the message returns to the Coast Guard, indicating that the aircraft may be suffering. Such a message was not received by the Coast Guard, he said.
US Coast Guard spokesman Mike Salerno said rescuers had been searching for a known location by helicopter. Two rescue swims were lowered to investigate.
The National Transportation Safety Board had dispatched nine people to sites in various states.
Flying is Alaska’s essential transport mode due to the vast landscape and limited infrastructure, and is commonly travelled by small planes.
The plane crash marks the third major US air accident in 8 days. On January 29, a commercial jet liner and an army helicopter collided near the country’s capital, killing 67 people. On January 31st, a medical transport crashed in Philadelphia, killing six people on board and another person on the ground.
Bering Air serves 32 villages in western Alaska from the Hubs of Norme, Kotzebue and Unalakleet. Most destinations will receive scheduled flights twice a day, Monday through Saturday.
“As we handle this heartbreaking news, our hearts are heavy with grief,” Bering Air wrote in a statement on its website. “At this point, our ideas are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.”
According to Bering Air, telephone lines have been set up to provide updates and emotional support to people on board their loved ones. The company said it is seeking privacy from all involved and is committed to aid authorities.
Unalakleet is a community about 150 miles southeast of Gnome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage. The village is located on the Iditarod Trail, the world’s most famous sled dog race route, during which Masher and his team must cross the Frozen Norton Sound.
The Gold Rush town of Gnome is located just south of the Arctic Circle and is known as the end point of the 1,000-mile Iditarod. The city said a prayer vigil will be held on Friday for those on planes, friends, family members and those involved in the search effort.
By Becky Borler and Harry Golden
