A flight carrying nine passengers and a pilot went missing shortly after departing from a remote community in Alaska. Search efforts have been hindered by poor weather conditions, limiting visibility and aerial operations. Authorities continue to canvass the area on the ground in an attempt to locate the missing aircraft.

Authorities in Alaska are searching for a passenger plane that went missing on Thursday while flying from the remote community of Unalakleet to Nome, the state's Department of Public Safety announced.

The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan operated by Bering Air, was carrying nine passengers and a pilot when officials lost contact with it around 4 p.m. local time (0130 UTC), less than an hour after takeoff.

Crews are continuing their search on the ground, covering as much area as possible, according to the Department of Public Safety. However, poor weather conditions and limited visibility have made aerial search efforts difficult.

The Nome Volunteer Fire Department is conducting a ground search around Nome and White Mountain but has warned residents against forming their own search parties due to hazardous weather conditions.

Bering Air's director of operations, David Olson, stated that staff are actively working to gather information, coordinate emergency assistance, and support search and rescue efforts.

This missing flight is the latest in a series of aviation incidents in the U.S. this year, including a passenger jet collision with a helicopter over Washington and a medevac flight crash in Philadelphia.