Bodies of all 10 people onboard the commercial aircraft Cessna Caravan that crashed in Alaska on Thursday (Feb 6) have been recovered, according to the authorities.

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The Nome Volunteer Fire Department announced the update on recovery in a social media post on Saturday (Feb 8). 

“All ten individuals aboard the Bering Air plane have been officially brought home to Nome,” the fire department posted on Facebook around 3 pm.

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The recovery crew had been racing against time to recover the bodies before the approaching winter storm in the region. Crews were still working on recovering the aircraft according to the fire department. 

What happened to Bering Air flight?

The Bering Air Flight 445 plane went missing on Thursday (Feb 6) afternoon, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) southeast of Nome, while flying over the Bering Sea. The flight was a regularly scheduled commuter trip from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome.

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After an extensive search, the plane was found with all nine passengers and the pilot dead on Friday (Feb 7). The wreckage of the fatal plane was found atop sea ice which is drifting about 5 miles per day, further complicating the recovery. The aircraft will be removed using a Black Hawk helicopter, said officials.

Authorities investigate the crash

The radar data by the US Civil Air Patrol showed that the plane lost altitude and speed rapidly. However, the cause of the crash remains unknown, according to the US Coast Guard. The incident will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. 

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Coast Guard Lt Cmdr Benjamin McIntyre-Coble said he was not aware if the aircraft sent any distress signals. If a plane is exposed to seawater, an emergency locating transmitter sends a signal to the Coast Guard. However, the Coast Guard did not receive such a message.

Who was on plane?

According to authorities, the ages of the victims ranged from the 34-year-old Nome-based pilot to a 58-year-old passenger, also a resident of Nome.

Among the passengers who were killed were also Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson of Anchorage, ages 46 and 41, respectively. They had travelled to Unalakleet to service a heat-recovery system for the community’s water plant, as per the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

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“At this time, our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy,” Bering Air wrote in a statement on its website. “We recognize the profound loss this has caused, and we want to extend our sincerest condolences to everyone impacted.”

The flight company said that it had set up telephone hotlines with professionals to provide emotional support and updates to people who lost their loved ones on the flight.

(With inputs from agencies)