Wreckage of missing plane found
by Sublette County Sheriff’s Office
November 24, 2012
The wreckage of the Cessna 182, missing since last Saturday, has been located in western Sublette County. At approximately 1140 a.m. Tip Top Search and Rescue team members spotted the downed plane from the Teton County Search and Rescue Helicopter. TTSAR team members hiked to the scene of the crash. The pilot and only occupant of the downed aircraft, 63 year-old Miles McGinnis of La Barge, did not survive the crash.
The crash site, near the Lincoln and Sublette County line, was 1.6 miles from last radar contact in the very rugged terrain of the Upper Hoback. High winds and warmer temperatures the past two days helped reveal the downed aircraft, which had been covered with snow and debris. The plane was found in the primary search area established soon after the crash.
SAR members and Sublette County Sheriff’s deputies will be returning to the scene of the crash Sunday morning to begin recovery efforts. The investigation of the crash will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
The search was a joint effort by TTSAR, Teton County SAR, all divisions of Lincoln County SAR, the Civil Air Patrol, Classic Helicopters and local pilots.
Authority: Sheriff Dave Lankford Stephen Smith, Public Information Officer
|