Heartbreaking reason teacher was onboard doomed Alaska Bering flight that killed 10

A devoted teacher was on her way to help students when she was tragically killed in an Alaskan plane crash.

Carol Mendiola Mooers, 48, was one of 10 people who died when a Bering Air Caravan crashed en route to Nome, Alaska from Unalakleet on Thursday.

Mooers, a counselor at Unalakleet School, was ‘on her way to go pick up students to take on college tours in Juneau and Anchorage,’ her son wrote in an online fundraiser to bring her remains back to her hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

‘We are doing this because she deserves the best and she had always wanted to be buried with her fellow service members in San Antonio,’ her son Aaron said, noting that she was an Army veteran, educator, mentor and community leader who always considered Texas home.

She had grown up in San Antonio and taught at local schools, before she moved to Alaska three years ago, according to the San Antonio-Express News.

At the Unalakleet School, Mooers was said to have touched the lives of everyone and was a ‘keystone’ in the school’s operations, officials wrote in a tribute.

‘She worked in every classroom and she worked with every individual,’ it says. ‘She spent much of her lunch times with the students and almost every weekend supporting student activities.

‘There aren’t enough words to express the magnitude of loss or to honor her many contributions to the Wolfpack.’ 

School official Teri Paniptchuk also told Alaska Public Media how Mooers supported students in every way she could – creating activities for them, fundraising and making sure every student had food to eat.

‘She always made sure that our kids were taken care of,’ Paniptchuk said. ‘If needed, she would be there right away to comfort our kids if they were having a hard day.’

Mooers also instilled the value of helping those in need to her two sons, Aaron and Hunter, the online fundraiser said. 

The boys, along with their father Rodney, will now ‘be traveling across the country three times to recover her, take care of her and have her services in San Antonio.’ 

Also killed in the crash was Liane Ryan, 52, who had been working at the the Unalakleet School as an Alaska State Mentor Teacher – a program that hires retired teachers to visit districts in rural Alaska and work hands-on with teachers in their first two years on the job.

‘She had a contagious smile, an upbeat attitude and was always willing to pitch in wherever needed,’ the school said.

Ryan had previously worked as a science teacher and volleyball coach at several schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, and also volunteered at the Nome Public Schools.

‘She had such a cheerful and bubby personality and dedicated her post-retirement life to growing new teachers and encouraging them through those first incredibly tough years,’ the school district said in its own tribute.

Ryan now leaves behind a ‘legacy of dedication, kindness and unwavering commitment to education,’ the Classified Employee’s Association said.

‘She had a passion for learning and an incredible ability to inspire those around her.

‘Her patience, warmth and encouragement made a lasting impact on countless students, helping them grow both academically and personally.

‘Beyond the classroom, Liane was known for her generosity, sense of humor and deep love for her family and friends.

‘Whether she was mentoring a fellow teacher, volunteering in the community or simply offering a kind word, she touched the lives of so many,’ the Association wrote.

‘Liane’s passion for teaching and her compassionate spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of those she inspired. 

‘She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.’ 

The small jet the two educators were traveling on ‘experienced some kind of event, which caused them to experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss of speed,’ at around 3.18pm on Thursday – just 40 minutes after it took off, Coast Guard officials announced on Friday.

At that point, the small Bering aircraft dropped off the flight radar completely.

Officials say it had been battling freezing and treacherous conditions, with the National Weather Service reporting that temperatures were in the single digits, with light snow, wind gusts of up to 35mph and low visibility.

Investigators are still working to determine what may have caused the crash, which was one of Alaska’s deadliest in 25 years.

But on Saturday, authorities confirmed they recovered all of the victims who were on board.