Coast Guard finds missing plane in Alaska ice; 10 believed dead. Recap

Editor's note: This page reflects Friday's news about the plane crash in Alaska. For the latest updates, please read USA TODAY's coverage of the plane crash investigation for Saturday, Feb. 8.

Search crews found a downed plane carrying 10 people that went missing along Alaska's western coast after rapidly losing altitude and speed, authorities said Friday.

Everyone aboard the plane is presumed to be dead, said Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Salerno told reporters Friday that a Coast Guard helicopter located the wreckage and lowered two rescue swimmers to investigate. They saw three people inside the plane who appeared to be dead. The remaining seven people are also believed to be inside but were not immediately accessible due to the extent of the plane's damage, Salerno said.

The plane was found about 34 miles southeast of Nome. A photo posted by the Coast Guard showed a heavily mangled small aircraft and black debris strewn across the snow under bright sunshine.

"Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident," the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska said.

Discovery of the wreckage came after an hours-long operation hampered by poor weather and low visibility. Fire crews conducted ground searches from Nome to Topkok, and a U.S. Coast Guard flight crew scoured the airspace.

The turboprop Cessna Caravan operated by Bering Air was reported missing Thursday afternoon, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Carrying nine passengers and a pilot, the plane was flying from Unalakleet, Alaska, to Nome when its position was lost 12 miles offshore, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

At about 3:18 p.m. Thursday, the plane experienced an event that caused a rapid loss in altitude and a corresponding loss in speed as it moved over the Norton Sound, Lt. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble with the U.S. Coast Guard said during a news conference Friday afternoon. The cause was not yet clear, he said.

Families of everyone on board have been notified as of 9 a.m. local time Friday, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department said. Alaska State Trooper Lt. Ben Endres said all occupants were adults on a regularly scheduled commuter flight.

Just before noon on Friday, officials learned that an aircraft involved in the search spotted an unknown "item of interest" and would be working to determine what it is, McIntyre-Coble said.

Before the plane was reported missing, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department said the pilot had told Anchorage Air Traffic Control that "he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared."

The plane did not emit an Emergency Locator Transmitter distress signal that would be triggered by a crash or exposure to sea water, McIntyre-Coble said.

The incident comes as U.S. air travel and aviation faces increased scrutiny following the collision of a passenger plane and a military helicopter outside Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people and the fatal crash of a Medevac jet in Philadelphia that killed seven people and injured more than 20 others.

What to know about missing Alaska plane, search area

The aircraft was operating between parts of the state that aren't accessible by land vehicles and roads. Here's what to know about the area and the plane:

The plane's location: According to live flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane’s last known position was over the water, 38 minutes after leaving Unalakleet, which is typically less than an hour's flight from Nome.

Bering Air: Bering Air is a family-owned airline headquartered in Nome. Its website says it’s been operating since 1979 and offers scheduled regional service, charter flights and cargo transport. That includes scheduled service to both Nome and Unalakleet, which are about 150 miles apart in western Alaska, by the Bering Sea. It operates planes and helicopters.

Nome, Alaska: Nome is famous for being a gold rush town and the end of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The city of roughly 3,700 people is only accessible by dog sled, snowmobile, water and plane, according to the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Unalakleet, Alaska: Travel Alaska’s website describes Unalakleet as the southernmost I?upiaq village in Alaska. It has a population of around 800 people. The village is only accessible by plane, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Plane model: The missing plane was a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX with tail number N321BA, according to FlightRadar24. Cessna’s website says, “The Grand Caravan? EX turboprop was engineered for challenging missions, high payloads and short, rough runways while delivering single-engine economy and simplicity.”

-Eve Chen

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NTSB launching probe into Alaska crash

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Friday it is launching an investigation into the cause of the fatal plane crash.

Clint Johnson, chief of the NTSB Alaska region, said at a news briefing that the agency was made aware of the incident Thursday afternoon and has been monitoring developments. He noted one investigator is on scene with the Coast Guard to document the wreckage, and nine additional members are on their way.

Johnson said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is also en route to Alaska and is scheduled to arrive Saturday afternoon.

"We are very much in the preliminary stages of this investigation," Johnson said.

Disproportionate number of plane accidents occur in Alaska

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, a disproportionate number of air taxi and commuter plane accidents occur in Alaska compared to other U.S. states.

Alaska is known for its mountainous terrain and challenging weather. Many Alaskan villages are not connected by roads, meaning small planes are generally used to transport people and goods.

Bering Air is an Alaska-based regional airline that operates around 39 planes and helicopters, according to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Earlier Thursday night, the fire department said the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage was also sending flight support.

Latest aviation incident in the US

Thursday's incident is the latest aviation incident to occur in the U.S. in recent weeks, including two fatal crashes in late January. Several other incidents have recently occurred at major airports in Chicago, Seattle, and Houston, USA TODAY previously reported.

On Saturday, an airport worker was critically injured after a passenger plane hit a tug at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The following day, a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York City was evacuated after an engine issue was reported.

On Wednesday morning, a parked Delta Air Lines plane was struck by a taxiing Japan Airlines plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. No injuries were reported in the incident.

On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger plane and an Army helicopter collided near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people in the deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Just days later, a Medevac jet crashed into a busy neighborhood in Philadelphia, killing seven people and injuring over 20 others.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing plane in Alaska found; 10 believed dead inside: Recap