Villagers offer support for a critical lifeline in rural Alaska days after plane crash kills 10

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The small, striped plane rolled to a stop on a snow-covered airstrip in a remote western Alaska village not far from where a crash just days earlier had killed all 10 people on board. “As with any other tragedy, our region comes together and our residents here in Golovin wanted to show Bering Air that we care and that we support them 100%,” said Irene Navarro, a lifetime resident. “We want them to know that we stand with them through the practice of healing and just to show our love and to let them know they are not alone.” A Bering Air single-engine turboprop plane was traveling from Unalakleet to the hub community of Nome, a distance of about 150 miles when it disappeared Thursday afternoon. On social media, Redington Junior/Senior High School, where Ryan formerly taught, remembered her as a “pillar of joy, positivity, and encouragement.” “Each day, she brought a radiant and loving smile to her classroom, the halls, and the volleyball court at Redington; her influence will forever impact the students, athletes, and colleagues with whom she worked,” the post said. “A mile runway will take you anywhere.” In the summer, residents of villages like Unalakleet or Golovin can take boats along Norton Sound to Nome, and in the winter, snowmobiles are another option, but that’s a cold and long trip.