All 10 victims aboard the aircraft that went missing near Nome, Alaska, on Thursday have been recovered, the city's fire department confirmed.
Three victims were initially found Friday in the wreckage of Bering Air Flight 445, which was discovered on an ice floe. Crews recovered the remaining seven victims on Saturday, according to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department.
Alaska State Troopers later identified the pilot as 34-year-old Chad Antill of Nome. The passengers were also identified Saturday night as:
- Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla
- Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome
- Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla
- Kameron Hartvigson, 41, of Anchorage
- Rhone Baumgartner, 46, of Anchorage
- Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River
- Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage
- Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet
- Carol Mooers, 48, of Unalakleet
The victims' remains were transported to Nome before being sent to the Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office in Anchorage for autopsies, state troopers said.
With the recovery effort complete, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will now shift its focus to retrieving the wreckage of the Cessna 208 Caravan. Investigators say the crash site is shifting approximately five miles per day due to ice movement, which, along with expected snowfall, could complicate the operation.
"The NTSB knows that villages like Nome and Alaska aviation are tight-knit communities, so this tragedy affects so many," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Saturday. "Please know that we will work diligently to determine how this happened with the ultimate goal of improving safety here in Alaska and across the United States."
Authorities told CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave that the aircraft was not equipped with voice or data recorders, as they are not required. However, investigators will search for other electronic components that may contain flight data to help determine the cause of the crash.
Bering Air Flight 445 disappeared on Feb. 6 while en route to Nome, experiencing a sudden loss of altitude and speed. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search and rescue operation after the aircraft was reported missing.
This tragedy marks the third major U.S. aviation incident in just over a week. On Jan. 29, an American Eagle flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard. Two days later, on Jan. 31, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, claiming the lives of six passengers and one person on the ground.
