NBC News: Plane Carrying 10 People Goes Missing in Alaska

COSTELLO Good day I ░░░░░░░░ Tom Costello I m ░░░░░░░░ for Hallie And just ░░░░░░░░ we came on the ░░░░░░░░ the Coast Guard in ░░░░░░░░ announced that they have ░░░░░░░░ an item of interest ░░░░░░░░ their urgent search for ░░░░░░░░ sign for any sign ░░░░░░░░ of a missing plane ░░░░░░░░ people on board Flightradar24 ░░░░░░░░ Bering Air Flight 445 ░░░░░░░░ off at about 2 ░░░░░░░░ PM local time in ░░░░░░░░ It was headed for ░░░░░░░░ about 3 38 is ░░░░░░░░ it was going to ░░░░░░░░ It never made it ░░░░░░░░ Coast Guard now says ░░░░░░░░ Alaska that the plane ░░░░░░░░ last seen about 12 ░░░░░░░░ offshore just before losing ░░░░░░░░ with air traffic controllers ░░░░░░░░ noticed a sudden drop ░░░░░░░░ altitude and speed So ░░░░░░░░ a listen now to ░░░░░░░░ ATC Clip starts ATC ░░░░░░░░ altitude Alert Bering Air ░░░░░░░░ check your altitude immediately ░░░░░░░░ Air 445 Anchorage Center ░░░░░░░░ contact lost 25 miles ░░░░░░░░ of Nome inaudible if ░░░░░░░░ copy center let me ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends COSTELLO Alright ░░░░░░░░ this is what the ░░░░░░░░ look like at Nome ░░░░░░░░ airport around the time ░░░░░░░░ plane vanished snow ice ░░░░░░░░ mph winds making visibility ░░░░░░░░ tough This mysterious disappearance ░░░░░░░░ now the third major ░░░░░░░░ incident in the U ░░░░░░░░ in the past eight ░░░░░░░░ Last Wednesday you ll ░░░░░░░░ 67 people died after ░░░░░░░░ army helicopter and a ░░░░░░░░ plane crashed on the ░░░░░░░░ river Two days later ░░░░░░░░ air ambulance medevac crashed ░░░░░░░░ a mall in northeast ░░░░░░░░ Six people on the ░░░░░░░░ and one person make ░░░░░░░░ six on board one ░░░░░░░░ the ground were killed ░░░░░░░░ there have been other ░░░░░░░░ incidents on the ground ░░░░░░░░ week a Japan Airlines ░░░░░░░░ actually hit the tail ░░░░░░░░ a Delta 737 at ░░░░░░░░ s SeaTac airport NBC ░░░░░░░░ Dana Griffin is following ░░░░░░░░ story for us Dana ░░░░░░░░ know search conditions are ░░░░░░░░ out there as they ░░░░░░░░ looking for this missing ░░░░░░░░ One local fire chief ░░░░░░░░ worst case scenario is ░░░░░░░░ the plane is on ░░░░░░░░ water but that clearly ░░░░░░░░ they re thinking right ░░░░░░░░ right You re watching ░░░░░░░░ search effort bring us ░░░░░░░░ to date GRIFFIN Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ Tom they think that ░░░░░░░░ plane is likely in ░░░░░░░░ water They have had ░░░░░░░░ luck however finding the ░░░░░░░░ or finding the passengers ░░░░░░░░ know that after it ░░░░░░░░ off from the air ░░░░░░░░ heading to Nome that ░░░░░░░░ plane lost significant altitude ░░░░░░░░ speed That is not ░░░░░░░░ great sign Investigators weighed ░░░░░░░░ a little bit more ░░░░░░░░ the current search and ░░░░░░░░ effort Listen Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ COBLE This is an ░░░░░░░░ search and rescue case ░░░░░░░░ we re operating under ░░░░░░░░ assumption right now that ░░░░░░░░ are still people who ░░░░░░░░ in the position to ░░░░░░░░ assisted by the United ░░░░░░░░ Coast Guard Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ And so you heard ░░░░░░░░ right there This is ░░░░░░░░ considered a search and ░░░░░░░░ mission They are hoping ░░░░░░░░ find the 10 people ░░░░░░░░ board hopefully alive but ░░░░░░░░ s been several hours ░░░░░░░░ So this plane took ░░░░░░░░ from Unalakleet to Nome ░░░░░░░░ afternoon around 2 2 ░░░░░░░░ in the afternoon Forty ░░░░░░░░ later that s when ░░░░░░░░ flight disappeared that plane ░░░░░░░░ It was only 10 ░░░░░░░░ from its intended destination ░░░░░░░░ what caused it to ░░░░░░░░ go down Investigators say ░░░░░░░░ are still trying to ░░░░░░░░ that out They are ░░░░░░░░ saying whether whether pilot ░░░░░░░░ or any other potential ░░░░░░░░ may have contributed but ░░░░░░░░ NTSB says once they ░░░░░░░░ this search and rescue ░░░░░░░░ that will be the ░░░░░░░░ step to figure out ░░░░░░░░ went wrong Tom COSTELLO ░░░░░░░░ And we also know ░░░░░░░░ the FBI had said ░░░░░░░░ it is working and ░░░░░░░░ assist on this effort ░░░░░░░░ understand that essentially they ░░░░░░░░ going to be coming ░░░░░░░░ with their technology to ░░░░░░░░ for cell phone traces ░░░░░░░░ GRIFFIN Yeah they initially ░░░░░░░░ that that s what ░░░░░░░░ were doing using some ░░░░░░░░ of technology technology to ░░░░░░░░ the cellphones of the ░░░░░░░░ on board that plane ░░░░░░░░ we just heard moments ░░░░░░░░ that the FBI is ░░░░░░░░ of in a hold ░░░░░░░░ because of that item ░░░░░░░░ interest that they found ░░░░░░░░ on the ice or ░░░░░░░░ the water so they ░░░░░░░░ not need them at ░░░░░░░░ point so they re ░░░░░░░░ above that area trying ░░░░░░░░ figure out if there ░░░░░░░░ anything below the ice ░░░░░░░░ the water and hopefully ░░░░░░░░ have some sort of ░░░░░░░░ coming up pretty soon ░░░░░░░░ do know that before ░░░░░░░░ plane vanished the pilot ░░░░░░░░ tell air traffic control ░░░░░░░░ he or she was ░░░░░░░░ to enter a holding ░░░░░░░░ waiting for the runway ░░░░░░░░ be cleared Investigators have ░░░░░░░░ said why that runway ░░░░░░░░ not clear Tom COSTELLO ░░░░░░░░ And we re also ░░░░░░░░ that there were 10 ░░░░░░░░ on board and the ░░░░░░░░ police have already notified ░░░░░░░░ of kin about the ░░░░░░░░ and updating them Dana ░░░░░░░░ you very much Dana ░░░░░░░░