US authorities are looking for a small plane carrying 10 people that has been reported missing in the state of Alaska.
The US Coast Guard for the Alaska region said a Cessna Caravan craft was 12 miles (19km) offshore on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome when “its position was lost”.
The two cities are some 146 miles from each other across the Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea on Alaska’s western coast.
Search and rescue crews “are working to get to the last known coordinates” of the flight, state officials said in a statement.
Officials said they had been notified of an “overdue” aircraft operated by the airline Bering Air at 16:00 local time on Thursday (01:00 GMT).
The 10 people on board comprised nine passengers and a pilot, the update from the Alaska Department of Public Safety said. There was no information immediately available about who was on board.
The volunteer fire department in the landing city Nome said the pilot had told air traffic controllers that “he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared”.
The BBC has contacted Bering Air for comment.
Giving information about its search and rescue mission, the coastguard said a plane had been sent to search for the last known positions of the missing craft.
The search plane – which includes specialised equipment to locate objects and people with no visible conditions – will fly in a grid pattern over the water and shoreline.
The Alaska State Troopers said they were working with Alaska Air National Guard to support the coastguard’s efforts.
“Search crews are actively looking for this aircraft amid challenging conditions,” the Alaska State Troopers said on X, at around 03:00.
“Please keep the missing individuals, their loved ones and search teams in your thoughts tonight.”
The post noted “challenging” weather conditions, which the Nome volunteer fire department also said limited air search-and-rescue efforts.
Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage has also sent flight support.
