A plane has been located that matches the description of the one that went missing in Alaska on its way to the hub community of Nome with 10 aboard, authorities said Friday. Three bodies were found inside the aircraft.
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Cameron Snell, a spokesman for the US coastguard, said crews had not been able to fully open the plane and were continuing to search: “Right now we just know that there’s three.”
Rescuers were searching the aircraft’s last known location by helicopter when they spotted the wreckage, according to Mike Salerno, another coastguard spokesman. They lowered two rescue swimmers to investigate.
The Bering Air single-engine turboprop plane was travelling from Unalakleet on Thursday afternoon with nine passengers and a pilot, according to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety.
Bering Air provides services to 32 communities in western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet. Most Alaska communities are not connected to the state’s main road system and rely heavily on alternative means of travel, including small aeroplanes.
The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2.37pm, and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air, has said. The aircraft was 19km (12 miles) offshore, the coastguard said.