Search for lost plane continues
Efforts to spot small aircraft hampered by changing weather and rocky terrain
The search is continuing for a light aircraft that disappeared Thursday somewhere between Cranbrook and Kamloops.
A man and a woman were on the four-seater plane that had departed from Lethbridge, Alta., and landed in Cranbrook to refuel, Cranbrook RCMP said in a news release.
Alex Simons, 21, of Kamloops and Sidney Robillard, 24, of Lethbridge, Alta., were expected to arrive in Kamloops at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Their Piper Warrior aircraft, call letters C-GDTK, left Cranbrook around 3 p.m. that day.
RCAF crews from CFB Comox searched until dark on Thursday, and efforts have continued Friday and again Saturday. Lieut. Greg Menzies said the search has been hampered by changing weather conditions, and the rocky terrain covered in trees makes spotting a small aircraft challenging.
“It is quite a large area. It’s very rocky, very mountainous, heavily treed, so certainly an aircraft of this size is difficult to find,” he said.
A Cormorant helicopter and Buffalo fixed-wing aircraft have been involved in the search along with local search and rescue volunteers.
Hoping the couple were forced to divert to an alternative airport, police contacted airfields across southeastern B.C., but with no luck, said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
He asks anybody with information on the whereabouts of the plane or its occupants to contact their local police.
Transport Canada’s civil aircraft register says the 35-year-old Cherokee is owned by Excel Flight Training of Lethbridge, and based at that city’s airport.
A spokesman for Excel Flight Training told Postmedia the missing plane was rented by the pilot.
Many flight schools routinely rent their aircraft to licensed pilots — either to gain flight hours, for extra instruction or for pleasure flying.
“It is quite a large area. It’s very rocky, very mountainous, heavily treed, so certainly an aircraft of this size is difficult to find.” — LIEUT. GREG MENZIES