City, agencies recap search for plane and update on recovery efforts

In a somber press conference held at Nome’s City Hall, Mayor John Handeland recapped the efforts in finding and now recovering the Bering Air Caravan with ten people aboard that went down yesterday, about 34 miles southeast of Nome on the sea ice. He said the search began a day and a half ago, “with hope in our hearts” to quickly find the overdue plane. Nome Volunteer Search and Rescue spooled, a ground search was conducted, National Guard military personnel and their air assets were dispatched from JBER and the Coast Guard assisted. “Earlier this afternoon, the US Coast Guard discovered the wreckage of an aircraft matching the description of the overdue Bering Air flight 445, traveling from Unalakleet to Nome and, sadly, there does not appear to be any survivors. On behalf of my fellow Nomeites, I extend our collective condolences and support to the families and loved ones of the passengers and pilots and others in our big Alaska family that are also impacted by this tragic occurrence,” Handeland said. “While we can't turn back time, please give us all the needed strength to use each moment we have in the future very wisely. Hug your people tonight tightly and often. God bless you all.”

US Coast Guard

Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno with the U.S. Coast Guard District 17 reported that an air crew on a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter located the aircraft on the ice, about 34 miles south east of Nome, on Friday. When the air crew located the wreckage, they lowered two rescue swimmers to investigate the scene. They were able to see inside the aircraft, and they saw three individuals who were unresponsive, without any signs of life. The remaining seven people are believed to be on board, but due to the extent of the of the damage, the rest of the aircraft was inaccessible. Salerno said that the other people are believed to be inside that wreckage. “And unfortunately, it does not appear to be a survivable crash. Our condolences are with the families and the communities.”

NVFD

NVFD Chief Jim West Jr. recapped the efforts by Nome SAR volunteers. He said they were getting involved at 4:26 p.m. Thursday. A Bering Air helicopter flew out to search but due to fog and icing conditions, it was turned around approximately 13 miles out of Nome. “So that left our initial search to be on the ground,” West said. NVFD SAR activated 15 of our search responders to canvass the shoreline and inland areas. The White Mountain search and rescue crew team of 11 coming from the east. They ran into the same conditions, with weather in the Topkok blowhole reducing visibility to about 50 feet. “We coordinated with the state and federal agencies to get resources out there to help us. We were assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard C130, along with the US Air Force C130 that evening. Nothing was found. At 6 a.m. search efforts were spooled up again as weather had considerably improved. Bering Air had sent out two fixed wing planes with spotters.

A helicopter from the Coast Guard flew in, along with another C-130 plus ground crews from Nome and White Mountain searching the areas, since the visibility was a lot better.

When the plane was located, SAR turned their focus to the recovery effort.

West said that search and rescue volunteers are out on the ice “detangling the mess and trying to get everything situated so we can bring the folks home.” He said they only have a window of 18 hours as bad weather is forecasted again, with high winds and blowing snow. “The other obstacle that we have is the National Guard cannot fly during night, so we'll have to wait.” The volunteers are flown by helicopter to the site, which he said is the safest and fastest way to get out there, a 15 minute flight from the Hangar in Nome. West said the plane crashed on ice that he described as slushy, young ice and not stable at all. “It’s a dynamic situation,” he said.

If weather holds, the recovery may even include slinging the wreckage by Black Hawk off the ice.

NTSB investigation

NTSB investigator Clint Johnson added that the NTSB investigation is getting underway. They will be analyzing data that the airplane transmitted to the ground. “We have the ability to be able to drill down into that data, and our recorder folks back in DC are able to give us a little bit better of an idea of the last moments of the flight. But again, that's part of the investigation, and we're just getting rolling on that right now.”

Johnson said that NTSB investigator Stacia Joyce arrived in Nome Friday morning and is on scene with the Coast Guard. “Her intent is to document the site to the best of their ability, in some pretty rough conditions, obviously, but what she's going to be doing is documenting that perishable evidence and start the investigation,” Johnson said. NTSB has a contingent of investigators headed to Alaska right now: Nine people, of nine different disciplines. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is en route to Alaska, arriving Saturday afternoon. Johnson said he hopes he can get her to Nome as well.  

Senator Murkowski

Senator Lisa Murkowski called in to share her heartfelt prayers in these dark and sad hours. “Words really can't express the loss that we're all feeling at this point in time,” she said. “We all we're all connected in so many ways. And many of you know that that I feel part the of the Bering Air family myself. I feel part of the Nome community. And so as we are, as we're listening to the to the words from the agencies that are involved with this with this effort, it's hard, hard to accept the reality of our loss.” She said she’s been in contact with the Secretary of Transportation, and he has assured her that he's going to make sure that “we have the resources as a state to do as best we can when it comes to the safety of those who are flying across our skies.”

NSHC

Bridie Trainor with Norton Sound Health Corporation’s Liiftik Behavioral Health Services, said BHS staff is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and through the weekend on the third floor of the hospital. She said village based counselors are in each community to give support. People can call 907-443-3344 or after hours at 907-443-6411 or the Crisis Lifeline at 988.

“Our communities are very strong, especially in tough times and people are no stranger to hardship,” she said. “We draw on the strength and wisdom of land animals, spirit, ancestors and each other to guide us through anything. We have all the resources we need to work through this or anything else and come out stronger.”