The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air. The aircraft was 12 miles (19 kilometers) offshore, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

An aircraft carrying 10 people across Alaska’s Norton Sound south of the Arctic Circle went missing Thursday afternoon and rescuers searched into the night for any sign of the aircraft. The Bering Air Caravan was heading from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot,

Crews in Alaska are searching for a plane that went missing with 10 people on board while over Norton Sound off Nome.

Federal and local authorities said late Thursday they are searching for a plane with 10 people aboard that has gone missing in western Alaska.