NTSB: Bering Air flew overloaded planes prior to crash near Nome that killed 10

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New reports show that Bering Air exceeded weight limits on flights prior to the crash of an overloaded plane near Nome last February that killed the pilot and all nine passengers.

That finding is part of a massive docket of investigative documents the National Transportation Safety Board made public Wednesday. The docket includes 78 documents totaling more than 3,400 pages.

The single-engine Bering Air Cessna Caravan crashed on Norton Sound sea ice about 30 miles southeast of Nome after leaving Unalakleet amid spells of freezing rain. Flight 445 carried several locals, Anchorage-area engineers working on a water plant, and a Mat-Su educator.

The NTSB is investigating what caused the Feb. 6, 2025, crash, the third fatal civilian aviation incident in the U.S. in less than a week and one of Alaska’s deadliest in decades.

A preliminary NTSB report released last year found the Caravan’s weight on takeoff was more than 1,000 pounds too heavy for the icy conditions it was flying into. The Federal Aviation Administration requires operators to follow such weight limitations.

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