Two Dead in Tragic Shooting Involving Police Officer's Son

A Bering Air commuter plane crashed on sea ice in western Alaska on February 8, 2025, killing all ten people aboard, including a pilot and nine passengers. The small Cessna Caravan was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome when it lost contact with authorities about 30 miles southeast of Nome, shortly after departure, according to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety and Bering Air officials.
The plane departed Unalakleet at 2:37 PM, and radar data indicated it experienced a rapid loss in altitude and speed by 3:18 PM, but no distress signals were received from the aircraft, as detailed by Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble. The region was reported to have light snow and fog with temperatures around -8 degrees Celsius. Local, state, and federal agencies conducted extensive search operations but found no survivors.
Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan expressed their condolences, and prayer vigils are set to honor those lost during this tragic incident that marks the third major aviation accident in the U.S. in just over a week.