Here's what we know about a commuter plane crash in Alaska that killed 10 people


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Updated 11:17 AM GMT-5, February 8, 2025 JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Authorities are working to recover the wreckage of a plane crash in western Alaska that killed 10 people while investigators are trying to determine what caused the small commuter aircraft to go down in the icy Bering Sea. The single-engine turboprop plane was traveling from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. The Bering Air plane was found the next day after an extensive search. Nine passengers and the pilot were killed. Crews on Saturday were racing to recover the wreckage and the remains of those killed in the crash before expected high winds and snow. Here are things to know about the plane crash, which is one of the deadliest plane crashes in the state in 25 years. Officials said contact with the Cessna Caravan was lost less than an hour after it left Unalakleet on Thursday. Authorities said the flight was a regularly scheduled commuter trip, and the aircraft went missing about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Nome. The wreckage was found Friday by rescuers who were searching by helicopter. Local, state and federal agencies scoured large stretches of icy waters and miles of frozen tundra before finding the plane. A Black Hawk helicopter will be used to move the aircraft once the bodies are removed, officials said. Unalakleet is a community of about 690 people about 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) southeast of Nome and 395 miles (about 640 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage. The village is on the Iditarod trail, route of the world’s most famous sled dog race. Nome is just south of the Arctic Circle and is known as the ending point of the 1,000-mile (1,610-kilometer) Iditarod.