What happened
On February 6, 2025, at approximately 1520 Alaska standard time, a Textron Aviation 208B, registration N321BA, crashed near Nome, Alaska. The aircraft, operated by Bering Air Inc as flight 445, was performing a scheduled commuter flight from Unalakleet Airport (PAUN) to Nome Airport (PAOM). The accident resulted in 10 fatal injuries, involving the pilot and nine passengers.
The flight departed Unalakleet at 1437, flying west over Norton Sound. At 1456, the pilot was cleared to descend to 6,000 feet. During the descent, the aircraft's airspeed initially increased but then began to decrease alongside a reduction in engine power. By 1519, the airspeed had dropped significantly, and the autopilot disengaged. The aircraft's altitude decreased from 3,100 feet to approximately 1,325 feet before the final ADS-B data point was recorded 32 miles east of Nome, over Norton Sound. A subsequent satellite tracking point placed the aircraft at just 200 feet altitude. The controller issued a low altitude alert at 1520, but no further communication was received from the crew.
The investigation
Search and rescue teams located the wreckage on a large, moving icepack in Norton Sound on February 7. The aircraft was found upright, though the propeller assembly had separated from the engine. The fuselage showed upward crushing damage, and both wings sustained significant damage, including the left wing partially separating from the fuselage. An initial examination of the airframe showed no evidence of in-flight structural failure.
Investigators examined the aircraft's weight and balance. While the aircraft was equipped with an Aircraft Payload Extender III system, the estimated gross takeoff weight of approximately 9,865 lbs was significantly higher than the maximum allowable takeoff weight for flight into known icing conditions. Specifically, the weight was about 1,058 lbs over the limit for operations involving the TKS ice protection system and about 803 lbs over the maximum gross takeoff weight permitted under the payload extender supplement.
Regarding the TKS ice protection system, minor ice accumulation was observed on the leading-edge surfaces behind the porous membranes. The TKS tank was damaged during the impact, making it impossible to determine the exact amount of fluid onboard at the time of the crash.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in weather conditions involving light snow and forecast moderate icing.
- The aircraft's takeoff weight exceeded the maximum allowable limits for flight into icing conditions.
- The aircraft's takeoff weight exceeded the maximum gross takeoff weight permitted by the Aircraft Payload Extender III modification.