The Nome Volunteer Fire Department reported Friday morning that overnight searches by crews on two C130 planes found no trace of the Bering Air Cessna Caravan plane that had 10 on board when it went missing over Norton Sound on Thursday afternoon.
The flight transmitter stopped sending signals at about 3:19 p.m., and it appears the plane was over water or young (not thick) ice in the sound that is between Unalakleet, where the flight originated, and Nome, the carrier’s destination.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday is going to attempt to trace the cell phones of those onboard, although if the plane is in the water, that may not be easy. The plane itself has not transmitted any detectable signal by its emergency locator transmitter, a device that typically activates if a plane crashes.
Nome Fire Department said the Alaska National Guard has been approved to fly and has launched in a Blackhawk helicopter, and the U.S. Coast Guard is bringing a helicopter from Kodiak. Another C-130 has landed in Nome to assist. A ground crew is heading down the coast from Nome toward where the plane might be spotted.
Bering Air is ready to launch a King Air and helicopter support, but is letting Coast Guard maintain the airspace, the fire department said.
“All families of passengers on the missing flight have been notified. Please keep families in your thoughts at this time. Search efforts continue by air and land. The Coast Guard helicopter is actively canvassing the sea ice and shoreline, and the National Guard is spooling up to launch in the Blackhawk,” the fire department wrote on Friday.
This story will be updated as facts emerge.
Feb. 7, 10:30 a.m. update from Nome Volunteer Fire Department: “We received a weather update from National Weather Service this morning, and weather is looking stable for the next 24 hours to continue air search. Bering Air launched two King Airs earlier today at first light to fly grid patterns to canvas the area. Two helicopters are loading up to go in 20 Minutes. The Coast Guard is planning to drop a buoy to track and monitor ice movement to inform the search. The International Guard will help with searching in their helicopter. Search and Rescue groups from White Mountain and Nome continue to search by land in the surrounding area.”
Read the original report and updates from Thursday night at the link below:
