A search has been launched to locate a Bering Air flight from Unalakleet that failed to arrive in Nome Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Flight records indicated that Bering Air flight 455, a Cessna Caravan, was flying at around 1,400 feet when it stopped transmitting its location at 3:18 p.m. It was scheduled to arrive in Nome at 4:20 p.m.
The Caravan is a mainstay in Bering Air’s fleet and seats up to nine passengers. Danielle Sem, a spokesperson for the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, said in a statement that 10 people were aboard.
Sem said the initial search was on the ground only “because of the weather and icing.” That effort includes crews from Nome and White Mountain. At 7:00 p.m., Sem said that a Coast Guard C-130 and air support from Elmendorf Air Force base would join the search.
“Ground crews have covered ground all along the coast from Nome to Topkok,” Sem wrote in the 7:00 p.m. update.
Norton Sound Health Corporation has announced that it is preparing for a “community medical emergency.” Health corporation spokesperson Reba Lean said the hospital is setting up a space for family members in its third floor conference room.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.