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NTSB Launches Investigation in Alaska After 10 Killed in Caravan Crash

Wreckage is located about 12 miles offshore on an ice floe on Norton Sound.

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operating as Bering Air Flight 45 was similar to the one shown here. [FLYING file photo/U.S. Air Force]
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Key Takeaways:

  • A Bering Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed fatally in Alaska while en route from Unalakleet to Nome, killing all 10 people aboard (pilot and nine passengers).
  • The aircraft went missing in foggy and snowy conditions, with its wreckage later located on an ice floe in Norton Sound.
  • The pilot had advised air traffic control of an intent to enter a holding pattern due to whiteout conditions at Nome before the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude and airspeed.
  • The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the "unsurvivable" crash, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days.
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of a fatal Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crash in Alaska late last week.

The aircraft had gone missing Thursday while en route from Unalakleet to Nome on Alaska’s west coast, prompting a massive search that included the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, and state police.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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