Search for missing plane is hampered by weather
By Terry Murry on Monday, March 13th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UPDATE from WSDOT at 9:30 a.m. today (Monday):
Strong winds, rain, reduced visibility and low clouds continue to affect search and rescue flying conditions today. If weather conditions improve, crews will be standing by to attempt air search efforts later today. If that happens, we will update the blog with that information.
We continue to work with the Quinault Nation Emergency Management Team about potential ground search efforts in the 36-square-mile search area near Queets. We are also engaged with several property owners the search area covers, including Olympic National Park, the state Department of Natural Resources, local jurisdictions and tribal partners.
Barring new search flights, the next update will be available at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 14 on our blog.
POSTED EARLIER:
QUEETS, Washington – The Washington State Department of Transportation was unable to continue its search on Sunday due to adverse weather conditions. The plane suddenly dropped from radar on the evening of March 6. The state’s Search and Rescue Planning Team is continuing to investigate the last known primary radar returns of the plane.
The aircraft is described as a 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane. It’s pilot is Rod Collen. Search efforts began that night. The hunt also included air searches on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday when weather permitted safe flying conditions.
WSDOT reports that law enforcement and others have been patrolling roadways in the area where it dropped from radar as well. The plane left radar over rugged forest area near Queets.
Collen left Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35 p.m. Monday. A few minutes into the flight the planes automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system was either turned off or malfunctioned and the Cessna was no longer visible on normal air traffic controller tracking systems. A specialized radar forensics team located primary radar returns that placed the craft between Lake Quinault and Queets. The final radar plots show the aircraft made a very rapid descent to the ground. Collen was the only person in the plane.
No signal has been detected from the plane’s emergency locator transmitter since it went off radar, but searchers have narrowed the area to a 36-square-mile section of forest land with rough terrain and some logging activity. The amount of snow on the ground has hampered searchers’ abilities to spot the plane from the air. Officials say the area is too large and rugged to send ground search crews in until the area can be narrowed to a more specific site. The plane’s tail number is N24289.
Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane on the evening of March 6 or spotted anything in the area is being asked to call the Washington Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990. At last report, officials do not need volunteers to conduct either air or land searches as they could hamper organized plans.
WSDOT has developed a blog for updates on the search The next update is scheduled for this morning (Monday) at 10 a.m. The blog is at https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/wsdot-searching-for-missing-plane-in.html.
Photo from WSDOT is described as being similar to the missing plane.
