Moment Bering Air plane disappears from tracker map over Alaska – VIDEO
The moment a Bering Air Cessna Caravan plane disappeared over Alaska has been captured by a flight tracker.
Authorities in Alaska are searching for the small plane carrying 10 people that disappeared while flying over Norton Sound on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Newsweek.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows the moment the plane disappeared from its tracker.
The average flight time of the route from Unalakleet to Nome is just 47 minutes.
The disappearance of the Bering Air flight is the third major aviation incident in the U.S. within just over a week. The missing aircraft, which had nine passengers and a pilot onboard, is believed to have been approximately 12 miles offshore when it lost contact, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Air travel is crucial for many rural Alaskan communities, as roads are often not an option for transportation, particularly during the winter months.
The plane departed from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. local time on Thursday but went off the radar less than an hour later. Authorities were first alerted to the missing aircraft around 4 p.m. local time. The pilot had reportedly told air traffic controllers that he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway in Nome to be cleared before communication was lost.
Severe weather conditions, including light snow, fog, and freezing temperatures of 17 degrees, have complicated search efforts. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that ground crews have been searching the coastal areas between Nome and Topkok but warned residents against forming their own search parties due to the dangerous weather.
A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft has been deployed to search the last known location of the missing plane, with additional support from the Alaska National Guard and state troopers.
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