WSDOT searching for missing plane near Okanogan

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation is searching for a missing plane in the vicinity of US 97 near Okanogan.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue was notified Saturday evening of a missing 1976 Piper Cub aircraft. The pilot and passenger left Penticton, British Columbia for Grangeville, Idaho. The pilot and a passenger were aboard when the pilot lost communication with Seattle Center air traffic control. The pilot’s daughter subsequently contacted the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office to report the aircraft and its occupants missing.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue teams immediately began searching for the aircraft’s last known radar locations between Oroville and Okanogan, using cell phone forensics to help identify potential search areas. Additional ground search resources from the Colville Confederated Tribes were also contacted to assist with the effort.

Search teams continue to look for the missing aircraft. No distress signals were received overnight.

WSDOT Air Search and Rescue operations will continue Sunday, Oct. 11 with favorable weather conditions. An aircraft will follow helicopter flights through the search area. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Saturday night or spotted anything in the area should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details. At this time, search officials do not need volunteers to conduct air or land searches.

Updates on the search will be posted on the WSDOT blog. Email updates from WSDOT are also available online by signing up and selecting the emergency news “air search and rescue” option. Barring new developments – which would be announced on the blog – the next update is planned for 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

WSDOT, by statute (RCW 47.68.380) is charged with the coordination and management of aerial search and rescue within the state. The agency works in conjunction with volunteer search and rescue groups, law enforcement and other agencies, such as the U.S. Navy, in carrying out such searches.

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