A small plane with 10 people onboard has gone missing in Alaska, over the Bering Sea. What a terrible situation…
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Bering Air Cessna Caravan goes missing close to Nome
This incident happened on February 6, 2025, and involves Bering Air flight 8E445, scheduled to operate the intra-Alaska flight from Unalakleet (UNK) to Nome (OME). There were 10 people onboard, including one pilot and nine passengers. The 147-mile flight was operated by a five-year-old Cessna 208B Grand Caravan with the registration code N321BA.
The flight departed from Unalakleet at 2:37PM, and was expected to arrive in Nome at 4:20PM. However, according to Flightradar24, the plane’s last position was recorded at 3:16PM, at an altitude of roughly 5,300 feet, around 12 miles from the coast, over the Bering Sea.
At the time, the pilot had informed air traffic controllers that the plane would begin a holding pattern, while waiting for runway clearance in Nome. However, there was no further indication of an emergency. The Caravan is a popular aircraft used for service in remote areas, and it has a single engine.
Search and rescue efforts are now underway. There are US Coast Guard and US Air Force aircraft in the area, trying to find the missing plane, and any survivors.
My thoughts are with those onboard and their families.
Bering Air is a reliable airline with a spotless record
Bering Air is a fascinating little airline. The carrier has been flying since 1979, and has a fleet of 27 aircraft. The carrier’s largest base is in Nome, and it offers both scheduled and charter flights, as well as air ambulance and helicopter services. Historically, the airline has even offered flights to far eastern Russia, given its proximity to Alaska.
Currently, Bering Air serves nearly three dozen destinations in Alaska, and provides vital connectivity to so many small communities. As you might expect, operating in Alaska year-round comes with some really harsh conditions. Despite that, the airline has had a spotless safety record up until now, and obviously has expertise in operating in this challenging area.
Below is a video from a couple of years ago, which shows you the cool operations that this airline has, and the good work they do.
Bottom line
While we’ll have to mark this as “developing” for now, a Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has gone missing in Alaska, while operating a flight over the Bering Sea. The plane was last spotted 12 miles off the coast, while waiting for clearance to land in Nome, the carrier’s base. My thoughts are with all those onboard and their families.
Thanks for sharing that video. I’ve flown Bering Air and met Jim Rowe, the owner. It’s a first class operation.
One of the issues with these small companies is the age of many of the planes they are flying with. There used to be so many options for STOL type passenger planes during the 80's and 90's when they were being manufactured during the heyday. Reasonable replacements for newer variations are far and few between though now. And in the case of the Caravan are really getting expensive to buy new. I have no idea...
One of the issues with these small companies is the age of many of the planes they are flying with. There used to be so many options for STOL type passenger planes during the 80's and 90's when they were being manufactured during the heyday. Reasonable replacements for newer variations are far and few between though now. And in the case of the Caravan are really getting expensive to buy new. I have no idea the average age of this company's fleet but most I have used in BC and Alaska are often many decades old. Well maintained I would assume - but still.
In other areas as well it gets questionable. I recently used the Amanpulo plane (the only access to their island in The Philippines) with their partner company Island Aviation. The Dornier 228 I was on was delivered in 1989. Workhorses for sure but at what point do they start to wear down? And at what point do parts and maintenance efforts become more of a hurdle? More so, what happens when the pilots with years of experience on them move on? In the case of the Dornier, there is just one simulator in the entire world - which is located in Germany.
It was reported, I think on the first FR link above, that it was only a 5 yr old Caravan
Any word on what the wx was like at the time?
The C130J has turned around and is heading home.
PIREPs in the area reported severe icing between 6000 and 8000 feet.
At the time of the last radar hit they were around 5300
Weather reports are that afterward it was near white-out conditions in the area where the plane was thought to be last located which is why the air search was suspended. Sled teams and searchers on snow machines are out and about.
I add the caveat that, having known many such persons, these are common conditions for pilots flying in Alaska. A Caravan like any other equipped with the right instruments can of course shoot...
Weather reports are that afterward it was near white-out conditions in the area where the plane was thought to be last located which is why the air search was suspended. Sled teams and searchers on snow machines are out and about.
I add the caveat that, having known many such persons, these are common conditions for pilots flying in Alaska. A Caravan like any other equipped with the right instruments can of course shoot any approach (well, probably not a Cat II or III). And weather changes quickly so a brief hold is not uncommon waiting for latest weather observation. Not like Southern Airways Express flying a similar plane who can't fly if there is even forecast icing or a cloud in the sky.