Juneau, Alaska. Authorities in Alaska worked urgently to recover the remains of 10 victims and the wreckage of a commuter plane that crashed on unstable sea ice, as high winds and snow loomed. The crash is one of the deadliest in the state in 25 years.

“The conditions out there are dynamic, so we’ve got to do it safely and as quickly as we can,” said Jim West, chief of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department, on Friday.

The single-engine Bering Air turboprop plane disappeared Thursday afternoon while traveling from Unalakleet to Nome. It was found the next day, with all nine passengers and the pilot confirmed dead.

Crews worked against time on slushy, unstable sea ice to recover the bodies and plane wreckage before severe weather was expected. A Black Hawk helicopter was set to move the aircraft once the victims were recovered, officials said.

Among the victims were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who had traveled to Unalakleet to service a vital heat recovery system at the local water plant, according to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

“These two members of our team lost their lives serving others,” said David Beveridge, vice president of environmental health and engineering for the organization. “The loss of these two incredible individuals and everyone else on board the plane will be felt across Alaska.”

The names of the other victims have not yet been released. All 10 people on board were adults, according to Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers.

A photo from the Coast Guard showed the plane’s shattered fuselage and debris scattered on the sea ice. Two rescue workers in brightly colored gear surveyed the site.

“It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss,” said US Sen. Lisa Murkowski during an evening news conference.

Nome Mayor John Handeland became emotional as he spoke about the tragedy. “Nome is a strong community, and in challenging times we come together and support each other. I expect that support to continue as we recover from this tragic incident,” he said.

Crash Details

The Cessna Caravan departed Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. Thursday, but contact was lost less than an hour later. The Coast Guard said the plane went missing about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Nome.

Radar data suggested the aircraft experienced “a rapid loss in elevation and speed” at approximately 3:18 p.m., according to Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble. The cause of the crash remains unclear.

Planes are equipped with emergency locating transmitters that send distress signals when exposed to seawater. However, no signals were received from this flight, McIntyre-Coble said.

The wreckage was discovered during a helicopter search, and two rescue swimmers were lowered to inspect the site. Multiple agencies, including local, state, and federal teams, had assisted in the search effort, which spanned ice-dotted waters and frozen tundra.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced it was sending a team of nine investigators to the crash site.

Flying is an essential mode of transportation in Alaska, where vast distances and limited infrastructure make small planes indispensable. Most villages are not connected to the state’s road system, and air travel is often the only practical option.

Bering Air serves 32 villages in western Alaska, with Nome, Kotzebue, and Unalakleet as its hubs. Most destinations receive twice-daily scheduled flights Monday through Saturday.

Unalakleet, home to about 690 people, is located roughly 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Nome. It lies along the Iditarod Trail, the route of the world-famous sled dog race. Nome, a historic Gold Rush town just south of the Arctic Circle, marks the race’s endpoint.

Prayer vigils were planned in Nome on Friday to honor the victims, their families, and those involved in the search and recovery efforts.

The crash is the third major US aviation accident in eight days. On Jan. 29, a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near the nation’s capital, killing 67 people. Two days later, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing six on board and one person on the ground.

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