Alaska Plane Crash Claims 10 Lives, Investigation Ongoing

Authorities are urgently working to recover the remains of 10 victims from a commuter plane crash in western Alaska, which is one of the deadliest in the state in 25 years. The Bering Air single-engine turboprop plane lost contact while flying from Unalakleet to Nome and was found the following day with all nine passengers and the pilot confirmed dead. Crews are racing against time on unstable sea ice to retrieve the wreckage before expected high winds and snow make recovery efforts more dangerous. Among the deceased are Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who were in Unalakleet to service a water plant. Local officials, including Nome's mayor and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, expressed their condolences and highlighted the impact of this tragedy on the community. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.