11/8/2013
Aircraft wreckage spotted east of Donnelly
MEDIA NOTE (Not for dissemination: The Valley County Sheriff's Office has assumed responsibility for the aircraft search and rescue. The dispatch phone number is 208-382-5160. Questions about the status of the search should be directed to that number.)
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DONNELLY – A helicopter search team from the Idaho Army National Guard spotted what is believed to be the wreckage of an airplane missing since Wednesday morning from the McCall airport.
Wreckage was sighted about 9:50 a.m. today in rugged terrain, at an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, several miles east of Donnelly, according to officials from the Idaho Transportation Department’s Aeronautics Division.
A Valley County Search and Rescue team was expected to arrive at the site late this morning or early afternoon. Two teams, one on horseback and another on foot, set out early this morning from a base camp to search for the aircraft.
The aerial search team could not confirm the tail number of the plane or provide information about its occupants.
A Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft carrying a pilot and two passengers left the McCall Airport Wednesday at about 9 a.m., apparently on a charter flight into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
It was reported missing at 10:23 a.m., initiating an extensive search by air and ground. The aircraft is registered to Wilderness Aviation of McCall.
The Idaho Army National Guard dispatched two helicopters again this morning to the region east of Donnelly where an emergency locator transmitter signal was detected. The Idaho Civil Patrol also sent a plane to the location.
More than 20 individuals were involved in the ground search this morning. Air and ground operations were hampered Thursday by inclement weather and poor visibility. The ground is covered by about two feet of snow.
The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has assumed responsibility for the search.