Dozens of Civil Air Patrol volunteers spent the weekend searching for two people in a motor-glider aircraft that never showed up in Modesto on Friday evening.
First Lt. Matthew Scherzi, mission information officer, said 85 volunteeers -- from base personnel and flight crews -- took part in 28 missions Sunday. The Civil Air Patrol launched 17 missions Saturday. He said an initial search was launched late Friday when the plane never completed its flight plan.
Scherzi said the search will continue today, focusing on a 2,500-square-mile area emanating from the Mammoth Lakes area.
He said the pilot, who left from Nevada en route to Modesto, was had filed a flight plan and was flying under radar coverage. He went out of coverage at Mammoth Lakes.
He said crews from California and Nevada have been searching the higher elevations for signs of the aircraft.
Scherzi declined to identify the pilot and passenger or the call letters of the aircraft.
He described the missing aircraft as a white 1988 Valentin Taifun 17 -- a European motor glider. In air, the craft can flight with the engine off.
Scherzi said the search may be complicated by snow in the higher elevations. "It snowed before they left and it snowed after they went missing," he said.
The Civil Air Patrol will hold a press conference at the former Castle Air Force base in Atwater today to discuss an expanded search operation.
Scherzi said the Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
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First Lt. Matthew Scherzi, mission information officer, said 85 volunteeers -- from base personnel and flight crews -- took part in 28 missions Sunday. The Civil Air Patrol launched 17 missions Saturday. He said an initial search was launched late Friday when the plane never completed its flight plan.
Scherzi said the search will continue today, focusing on a 2,500-square-mile area emanating from the Mammoth Lakes area.
He said the pilot, who left from Nevada en route to Modesto, was had filed a flight plan and was flying under radar coverage. He went out of coverage at Mammoth Lakes.
He said crews from California and Nevada have been searching the higher elevations for signs of the aircraft.
Scherzi declined to identify the pilot and passenger or the call letters of the aircraft.
He described the missing aircraft as a white 1988 Valentin Taifun 17 -- a European motor glider. In air, the craft can flight with the engine off.
Scherzi said the search may be complicated by snow in the higher elevations. "It snowed before they left and it snowed after they went missing," he said.
The Civil Air Patrol will hold a press conference at the former Castle Air Force base in Atwater today to discuss an expanded search operation.
Scherzi said the Civil Air Patrol is the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
More...