In a devastating incident over the icy waters of Norton Sound, Alaska, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, operated by Bering Air, crashed, claiming the lives of all 10 people aboard. The ill-fated flight, which departed from Unalakleet, Alaska, was en route to Nome, a journey that should have taken less than an hour. However, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and speed, dropping off radar on Thursday afternoon. Despite challenging weather conditions marked by snow and freezing fog, search and rescue teams managed to locate the wreckage over ice, 34 miles from its intended destination. Tragically, all passengers, including two employees of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), were found deceased and identified by Saturday.
The plane involved in the crash bore the tail number N321BA and was part of Bering Air's fleet, a family-owned airline headquartered in Nome. At the time of the incident, it was servicing a heat recovery system for Unalakleet's water plant. Among the passengers were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, both employees of ANTHC, who were traveling as part of their duties to support community health initiatives.
"From reports we have received, the crash was not survivable. Our thoughts are with the families at this time," – Nome Volunteer Fire Department
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX is known for its capability to handle challenging missions with high payloads and short, rough runways. Yet, despite its engineering designed for tough conditions, the plane succumbed to the harsh Alaskan elements. The weather on Thursday was particularly unforgiving, with visibility ranging from one to seven miles upon departure and half-a-mile to eight miles at the intended landing site. Temperatures hovered around 3 degrees in the air and 29 degrees in the water.
"Hypothermia and cold-water shock are a major concern for first responders and officials working on search and rescue operations near or on the water," – AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines
The plane's last known position was reported over water 38 minutes after leaving Unalakleet. Officials have yet to determine the exact cause of the aircraft's sudden descent and disappearance from radar. Aviation experts emphasize that when communication is lost and an aircraft’s location cannot be confirmed via radio or other means, it is classified as missing.
"When the communication is gone and they can't identify where the aircraft is or talk to somebody on the radio, then that's how they'll classify the aircraft as missing," – aviation attorney and former Air Force navigator Jim Brauchle
In response to this tragedy, David Beveridge, ANTHC's Vice President of Environmental Health and Engineering, expressed sorrow over the loss of his colleagues. He highlighted their dedication to serving communities across Alaska under challenging conditions.
"We have a very close team here at ANTHC’s Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, and we experienced the unthinkable today. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kameron and Rhone’s families and all others who have experienced the pain of this tragedy," – David Beveridge, ANTHC vice president of environmental health and engineering
"Our work doesn’t always make the front page of the newspaper. Kameron and Rhone didn’t seek that sort of notoriety. They were motivated by a deep commitment to our mission. They had the skills to help people across Alaska and the devotion to do so under any conditions. These two members of our team lost their lives serving others." – David Beveridge, ANTHC vice president of environmental health and engineering
As part of the investigation into this tragic accident, the Alaska Department of Public Safety has confirmed that all recovered bodies will be transported to Anchorage for autopsies.
"The bodies will now be transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Anchorage for autopsies," – Alaska Department of Public Safety
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