An aircraft matching the description of a single-engine turboprop plane that went missing Thursday in Alaska with 10 people onboard has been found with at least three bodies inside.
Rescue workers had been searching the aircraft’s last known location by helicopter when they spotted the small plane crashed on sea ice, roughly 34 miles southeast of Nome.
Rescue crews weren’t immediately able to access the entire Being Air plane, but the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Friday the remains of three victims had been recovered.
“The remaining seven people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane,” the Coast Guard said in a statement on social media. “Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident.
The missing Cessna Caravan had been traveling nearly 150 miles from Unalakleet to Nome when air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane less than an hour after takeoff.
The aircraft experienced a sudden loss in elevation and speed before it went missing over Norton Sound, just south of the Arctic Circle, around 3:18 p.m., authorities said Friday.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble said he wasn’t aware of anyone transmitting a distress signal. The plane was believed to be equipped with an emergency locating transmitter that sends notice to the Coast Guard when exposed to seawater. Officials said no such notice was received.
The 10 people onboard, which included nine passengers and a pilot, were all said to be adults. The plane was filled to capacity.
Cessna describes the Caravan as being “known for its rugged utility and flexibility.”
American aviation has been experiencing a period of turbulence in recent weeks. On Jan. 29, a plane carrying 64 people over Washington, D.C. collided with a military helicopter manned by a crew of three Army soldiers. All 67 people were killed.
U.S. airlines had gone 16 years without a fatal crash prior the collision, according to CNN.
Two days later, a medical transport plane carrying six passengers exploded after hitting the ground in Philadelphia. A man in his car was killed along with everyone onboard the plane.