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.

The plane operated by Bering Air was carrying nine passengers and a pilot from Unalakleet to Nome in northwestern Alaska when it went missing, officials say.