A plane went missing near Nome, Alaska, on Thursday after taking off in Unalakleet with nine passengers and the pilot on board. It seemed unlikely at the time that anyone had survived the crash, especially if the plane had gone down in the water, but the Air Force and the Coast Guard joined local authorities in the search. Somehow, they were able to spot the missing plane sitting on some sea ice, but all 10 people on board were declared dead, the Associated Press reports.
According to U.S. Civil Air Patrol, radar data shows the plane quickly slowing down and losing altitude, but it still isn’t clear what exactly caused the plane to crash. But authorities had reason to believe the plane had either gone down over land or was still on the sea ice because it was equipped with an emergency transmitter that would have automatically sent the plane’s location to the Coast Guard if it had been exposed to saltwater. Unfortunately for anyone who survived the initial crash, cold weather made it unlikely that they would last long, but they would have at least had more of a chance than if they’d gone down in the freezing water.
In a statement Sunday, National Transportation Safety Board Jennifer Homendy said moderate icing was possible in the area. That said, the plane had an anti-icing system installed that should have prevented that from being an issue. Investigators plan to examine the anti-icing system to see if it may have failed, but according to Homendy, the NTSB is still largely in the dark and wants to take a little more time before determining the cause of the crash. As Homendy put it, “Right now it’s really a focus on the wreckage and we’ll see where that takes us.”
While we don’t know what caused the plane to go down, information about some of the people who were on board has started to trickle out:
Authorities on Saturday identified the crash victims, who ranged in age from the 34-year-old, Nome-based pilot to a 58-year-old passenger, also a resident of Nome.
Also among those killed were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson of Anchorage, ages 46 and 41, respectively. They had traveled to Unalakleet to service a heat-recovery system vital to the community’s water plant, according to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet, was also among those lost. Known as TK, he was described by his older sister in an online fundraiser as a soft spoken and strong man who was wise beyond his years.
“His soul was genuine, and he lived life so matter of factly,” AyyuSue Katchatag wrote of her brother.
The flight operator, Bering Air, said it had set up telephone hotlines staffed with specialists to provide emotional support and updates to people who had loved ones on the flight.
“At this time, our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy,” the company said on its website. “We recognize the profound loss this has caused, and we want to extend our sincerest condolences to everyone impacted.”
This crash is one of the deadliest in recent history, with the AP pointing to a similar air taxi crash from 2013 that also killed 10. Small private planes are also a much more popular mode of transportation in Alaska since cities are so spread out, and road networks are limited. Snow machines can certainly help, but if you need to get to the other side of, say, a sound, it’s often far faster to fly.