Bering Air Flight 445

Bering Air Flight 445

A Cessna 208B EX similar to the one involved in the disappearance
Accident
Date	February 6, 2025
Summary	Crashed into ground, under investigation
Site	Over the Norton Sound, Bering Sea
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX
Operator	Bering Air
IATA flight No.	8E445
ICAO flight No.	BRG445
Registration	N321BA
Flight origin	Unalakleet Airport, Alaska, United States
Destination	Nome Airport, Alaska, United States
Occupants	10
Passengers	9
Crew	1
Fatalities	10

Bering Air Flight 445, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, was a scheduled domestic flight which disappeared while flying over the Norton Sound in Alaska, while flying from Unalakleet Airport to Nome Airport with 10 people on board. The crash site was found, in which all 10 people onboard the flight were found deceased. ^{[1] [2]} A search conducted by the United States Coast Guard is currently ongoing. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft is a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX operated by Bering Air. It was registered as N321BA, ^[6] with serial number 208B5613. ^[7] The aircraft was manufactured in 2020 by Cessna. ^[2]

Passengers and crew

Nine passengers and one pilot were on board the aircraft. On February 6, 2025, the US Coast Guard Alaska on X announced that the wreckage of Flight 445 was found and all 10 people had perished. ^{[4] [1] [8] [9] [10]}

Flight and disappearance

The scheduled domestic flight, operating as Flight 445, departed from Unalakleet Airport and took off from Runway 33 at 2:38 p.m. AKST. ^[2] It was expected to arrive at Nome Airport at 4:20 p.m. ^{[6] [11]} The last position transmitted by the aircraft was 64°19.81′N164°01.61′W / 64.33017°N 164.02683°W / 64.33017; -164.02683 at 3:16 p.m., with an altitude of 5,300 feet (1,615 meters). ^{[6] [12]}

The aircraft climbed to a cruising altitude of about 7,700 feet (2,347 meters). ^[2] The aircraft then started its descent towards Nome at about 3:11 p.m., with a ground speed of 163 knots at its highest. The ground speed then decreased for two minutes, to 110 knots at 5,725 feet (1,745 meters). As the descent continuously decreased, the aircraft's ground speed increased slightly by 3 knots, at which the plane disappeared from Flightradar24. ^{[6] [ non-primary source needed ]}

Prior to the disappearance on radar, the flight's pilot informed Anchorage's air traffic control that he would begin a holding pattern with the plane while waiting for the runway to be cleared. ^{[8] [13]}

The flight path of Flight 445, derived from data from Flightradar24

Response

United States Coast Guard members investigating the wreckage of the plane

The Nome Volunteer Fire Department stated that they are conducting active ground searches from Nome and White Mountain, but are limited on air searches due to poor weather and visibility. ^[14] The United States Coast Guard and Air Force are assisting with rescue efforts, flying over the area in order to locate the missing aircraft. ^[14] A C-130 Hercules dispatched by the Coast Guard from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage to search over Norton Sound did not find the missing aircraft. ^[8] Several Bering Air planes also flew over the area in search for the missing aircraft. ^{[15] [16]} Alaska State Troopers have also participated in the search. ^[17]

Norton Sound Health Corporation, a local hospital in Nome, issued a statement saying it is "standing ready to respond to a community medical emergency." ^{[3] [4] [8]}

Reactions

Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her prayers and condolences towards the passengers, those in Bering Air, as well as the community of Nome, in a post on X. ^{[18] [19]}

See also

• 2025 in aviation

References

1. Yoon, John (February 7, 2025). "Small Plane With 10 Dead Found Crashed in Alaska". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 8, 2025.
2. Ranter, Harro. "Accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX N321BA, Thursday 6 February 2025". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
3. Klecka, Joey (February 6, 2025). "Report: Plane with 10 onboard missing near Nome". Alaska's News Source .
4. Downing, Suzanne (February 6, 2025). "Breaking: Bering Air flight into Nome overdue with 10 aboard; search is on". Must Read Alaska.
5. Klecka, Joey (February 7, 2025). "Wreckage of missing plane found; 3 reported dead".
6. "N321BA - Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX - Bering Air". Flightradar24 . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
7. "FAA Registry". United States Department of Transportation. Faa.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
8. "Major search launched as Bering Air plane goes missing in Alaska with 10 onboard". The Independent. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
9. "Major search launched as Bering Air plane goes missing in Alaska with 10 onboard". YouTube. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
10. "#UPDATE #USCG has located an aircraft matching the description of the missing plane approx. 34 miles southeast of of Nome. 3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased. Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident". February 7, 2025.
11. Townsend, Ben (February 6, 2025). "Search underway for overdue passenger flight bound for Nome with 10 aboard". Alaska Public. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
12. "Search intensifies for Alaska flight that disappeared carrying 10 people near Nome. Here's what we know". Yahoo News. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
13. Yoon, John (February 7, 2025). "Small Plane With 10 Onboard Goes Missing in Alaska". The New York Times . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
14. Yeung, Jessie; Yee, Isaac (February 7, 2025). "Cessna reported missing over Alaska with 10 on board, officials say". CNN . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
15. "8E930 (BRG930) Bering Air Flight Tracking and History". FlightAware. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
16. LLC, Airnav Systems. "Follow Flight 8E931 on AirNav Radar". AirNav Radar. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
17. https://search.app/N2W1Jdqcpsh6peZF7
18. Liddell, James (February 7, 2025). "Alaska missing plane updates: Rescuers face 'zero visibility' as they search for survivors after Bering Air flight vanishes". The Independent. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
19. Murkowski, Lisa [@lisamurkowski] (February 7, 2025). "Our prayers are with all those on the plane missing out of western Alaska, the Bering Air family, and the entire community of Nome" (Tweet). Retrieved February 7, 2025– via Twitter.