Coast Guard discovers debris from aircraft lost in Alaska; all 10 passengers presumed dead.

Officials stated that the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska discovered the wreckage of a small plane on frozen sea ice on Friday. The aircraft had abruptly lost altitude on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of all 10 individuals aboard.  During a press conference, Coast Guard spokesperson Mike Salerno stated that two rescue swimmers from the U.S. Coast Guard who arrived at the wreckage observed three bodies within, while the other seven were believed to be trapped in the wreckage.

“Unfortunately, it does not appear to be a survivable crash,” Salerno said.

Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska office, told the same press conference that 10 were dead.

“Unfortunately now since the wreckage has been found and 10 fatalities, it’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work,” Johnson said.

Harsh winter weather had impeded search efforts, and it may take hours or days to recover the bodies from the remote site, officials said.

The debris was found 34 miles (55 km) southeast of Nome, according to a Coast Guard statement that featured an image of the wreckage in the snow alongside the two members of the recovery team.  The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane with a pilot and nine adult travelers was noted as missing while traveling from Unalakleet around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to a report shared on the Alaska State Troopers’ Nome website, situated over 500 miles (805 km) northwest of Anchorage.

The aircraft disappeared roughly 12 miles (19 km) offshore over the frigid waters of Norton Sound, a section of the Bering Sea, as reported by the Coast Guard.

According to radar data, Benjamin McIntyre-Coble, a Coast Guard officer in Alaska, stated that the plane experienced a quick decrease in altitude and speed, but he was unable to provide specifics on what might have led to that. Officials reported that the weather in the region where the plane unexpectedly fell was cold and bad.

The aircraft was managed by Bering Air and was undertaking a 150-mile journey from Unalakleet to Nome, a routine scheduled commuter flight crossing the Norton Sound. Relatives of those aboard have been informed, but no identities have been disclosed.

The event occurs during a period of increased examination of air safety in the United States. NTSB investigators are examining two fatal incidents that occurred recently: the midair clash between a passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., which resulted in 67 fatalities, and a medical aircraft accident in Philadelphia that resulted in seven deaths.