On February 6, 2025, a tragic aviation accident occurred in Alaska, resulting in the loss of all ten individuals aboard a Bering Air flight. The aircraft, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, was en route from Unalakleet Airport to Nome Airport when it vanished from radar over Norton Sound. The following day, search and rescue teams discovered the wreckage approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome, resting atop frozen sea ice.
The flight carried nine passengers and one pilot, all of whom perished in the crash. Among the victims were Rhone Baumgartner and Kameron Hartvigson, employees of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Environmental Health and Engineering team. They had been returning from servicing a community water plant system in Unalakleet.
Preliminary data indicates that the aircraft experienced a sudden and unexplained loss of altitude and speed before the crash. At the time, weather conditions included light snow and fog, but it remains unclear if these factors contributed to the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
This incident marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Alaska in the past 25 years and is the third major aviation incident in the United States within an eight-day span. The previous accidents involved a collision between a passenger plane and a helicopter in Washington and the crash of a medical evacuation plane in Philadelphia, both resulting in multiple fatalities.
Alaska’s vast and often inhospitable terrain makes air travel a common mode of transportation for its residents. However, the state’s challenging weather conditions and limited infrastructure can pose significant risks. This tragedy has deeply affected the communities involved, with local leaders and residents mourning the loss and offering support to the families of the victims.
As the NTSB’s investigation progresses, more information is expected to emerge regarding the factors that led to this devastating event. In the meantime, the focus remains on supporting the grieving families and honoring the memories of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.
