(Hill) – A small commuter aircraft crashed in western Alaska on Thursday was found on sea ice on Friday, with authorities saying all 10 people dead.
The incident has been one of the state’s most fatal accidents over the past quarter century.
The plane operated by Beringair had moved from the Arlanklate to the Gnome when it disappeared on Thursday, but was found the following day.
The accident occurs just weeks after two other aviation accidents occurred last month. A fatal air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people, while a fatal collision in Philadelphia killed seven people.
Following these incidents, President Trump pledged to overhaul the Federal Aviation Administration, including naming new acting leaders and updating the country’s air traffic control system.
“My heart is broken beyond the news of the gnomes. Alaska is a big, small town,” Sen. Lisa Markowski (R-Ala.) wrote on social platform X about Thursday’s crash. “When tragedy hit, it’s not far from being directly affected by Alaskans. But it also means that we are gathering together as a community for grief and healing. Masu.”
According to US Coast Guard representative Mike Salerno, rescuers used the helicopter to search for the last known location of the plane when they discovered the wreckage on Friday.
Two rescue swimmers were deployed to assess the situation.
The Coast Guard reported that the aircraft had wiped out about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of the Gnome. At about 3:18pm, the plane experienced some kind of incident, leading to a rapid decline in altitude and speed, according to radar forensic data from a US civil aviation patrol.
Coast Guard Lieutenant Colonel CMDR. “We can’t guess what the incident is,” Benjamin McIntyre Coble said.
McIntyre-Coble also said that there were no distress signals received from the aircraft. It is equipped with a transmitter for emergency positions. The device sends signals to satellites that alert the Coast Guard if the aircraft is in trouble when it is submerged in seawater.
He claimed that the Coast Guard had not received such a message.
According to Ben Endless Junior High, Alaska Troopers, there were 10 adults on board and the flight was standard commuting service.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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