Remains of all 10 victims in Alaska plane crash recovered: What we know so far

Remains of all 10 recovered in

Alaska plane crash

: All you need to know
Authorities have recovered the remains of all 10 victims from the fatal plane crash that occurred in western Alaska. The Nome volunteer fire department confirmed the recovery efforts on Saturday, racing against an approaching winter storm to retrieve the bodies from the icy Bering Sea.
The crash involved a

Bering Air

single-engine turboprop plane travelling from Unalakleet to Nome.

The aircraft disappeared Thursday afternoon and was discovered the following day, with all nine passengers and the pilot deceased.
The tragedy marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in Alaska in the past 25 years.

The wreckage was found on a drifting ice floe moving approximately five miles per day, posing difficulties for rescue teams, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy.
“Please know that we'll work diligently to determine how this happened with the ultimate goal of improving safety in Alaska and across the United States,” Homendy said during a press conference.
A Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to assist with the recovery of the wreckage once the victims were removed. The National Weather Service had warned of an impending winter storm with snow and winds reaching up to 45 mph, further complicating recovery operations.
Among those who perished were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, who had travelled to Unalakleet for work on a heat recovery system vital to the local water plant, as reported by 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 & engineering for the organization.
The names of the other victims have not yet been released, but all ten individuals on board were adults. The flight was a routine commuter trip, confirmed Lt Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers.
Investigation underway
Radar data from the US Civil Air Patrol indicated that around 3:18 pm (local time) on Thursday, the aircraft experienced a sudden and rapid loss of altitude and speed. The exact cause remains unknown.
Coast Guard Lt Cmdr Benjamin McIntyre-Coble stated that no distress signals were received from the aircraft. Normally, an emergency locating transmitter would signal authorities if exposed to seawater, but no such alerts were triggered.
The NTSB has sent a team of investigators from multiple states to determine the cause of the crash.
The crash has deeply affected the

Nome community

.
As per the news agency AP, Mayor John Handeland expressed his grief, saying, “Nome is a strong community, and in challenging times, we come together and support each other. I expect the outpouring of support to continue in the coming days as we all work to recover from this tragic incident.”
US Senator Lisa Murkowski also acknowledged the difficulty of the loss, stating, “It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss.”
Bering Air, which operates flights across western Alaska, shared its condolences, “Our hearts are heavy with grief as we process this heartbreaking news. At this time, our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.”
The company has set up a support line for relatives of those on board.
With many Alaskan communities lacking road access, air travel is a lifeline for residents. Small planes are commonly used for commuting, cargo transport and even school sports travel.
This incident follows two other major US aviation mishaps in the past eight days, a collision between a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter near Washington, DC, that killed 67 people on January 29 and a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia on January 31, which claimed seven lives.