Missing aircraft in MN

colomtnflyer

colomtnflyer

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Rescue Crews Search for Pilot, Plane Missing Since Friday

Sunday, November 15, 2009
service_ap_36.gif


WADENA, Minn. — Rescue crews are searching for a plane that has been missing in Minnesota since Friday.
The Civil Air Patrol's Minnesota Wing says Sunday that the yellow and black PA-28 Piper Cherokee left the Airlake Airport near Lakeville on Friday and never made it to its destination in Hallock, in northern Minnesota.
Family members say Andrew Lindberg of Farmington was the only person on board. He planned to meet his father to go hunting. The last communication from him was around 6:30 p.m. Friday, when he sent a text message saying he was near Staples.
The Civil Air Patrol will have multiple planes in the air Sunday, and the State Patrol helicopter is helping with the search. They are searching between Wadena and Hallock.
The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization that serves as an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575232,00.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r4:c0.080870:b28875570:z10
 
colomtnflyer said:
Rescue Crews Search for Pilot, Plane Missing Since Friday

Sunday, November 15, 2009
service_ap_36.gif


WADENA, Minn. — Rescue crews are searching for a plane that has been missing in Minnesota since Friday.
The Civil Air Patrol's Minnesota Wing says Sunday that the yellow and black PA-28 Piper Cherokee left the Airlake Airport near Lakeville on Friday and never made it to its destination in Hallock, in northern Minnesota.
Family members say Andrew Lindberg of Farmington was the only person on board. He planned to meet his father to go hunting. The last communication from him was around 6:30 p.m. Friday, when he sent a text message saying he was near Staples.
The Civil Air Patrol will have multiple planes in the air Sunday, and the State Patrol helicopter is helping with the search. They are searching between Wadena and Hallock.
The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer organization that serves as an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575232,00.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r4:c0.080870:b28875570:z10
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Hope he is OK. Someone has posted a Google map with information. According to the annotations on the map, a green flare and ELT signal have been observed along the possible flight path.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=47.15984,-94.96582&spn=7.27575,14.128418&z=6
 
That's very sparsely populated country up there. I hope he put a blanket and some candy bars in the airplane - it's been getting cold at night.

The flare and ELT are good signs, though, and I'm sending best wishes his way...
 
sdcapmx said:
Great info. Where did you get the intel?
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1) Because I don't fully trust Fox, copied the name "Andrew Lindberg" into Google Search and found Minneapolis-St.Paul StarTribune.com http://www.startribune.com/local/70184057.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUl

2) Scrolled down and read all the comments and found
I created a public map said:
Of everything I could get from the news report. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=47.15984,-94.96582&spn=7.27575,14.128418&z=6 If someone wants to collaborate with me on the map please send me an email.
Click to expand...
 
I was out on Sunday and heard the CAP flying grids around Lakeville.

I am skeptical of the "green flare" How many folks carry a Very Pistol (I do). If that, how many would have a unusual colored shell. I am not sure about the ELT signal, I hadn't heard that. Its a wakeup call that on a straight line course, with a text message/cell phone hit to work from that they cannot find the plane.

we'll say a prayer tonite for his safe rescue.
 
There are quite a few lakes north of Staples / Brainerd, I suppose he could have put it in the drink.
 
It's pretty obvious he didn't put it on a highway. Which, by the way isn't a bad idea when flying over the skag or the swamp. Flying a few extra miles with a highway underneath has never seemed like a bad option IMO.

Jack Spectre said:
There are quite a few lakes north of Staples / Brainerd, I suppose he could have put it in the drink.
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On the 10pm news they said the found the plane in Mahnomen, MN. They said it was a remote area and will not be able to go in until the morning. No news of the pilot.
Sorry cant find a link.
 
ron22 said:
On the 10pm news they said the found the plane in Mahnomen, MN. They said it was a remote area and will not be able to go in until the morning. No news of the pilot.
Sorry cant find a link.
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What I heard was that they found (the wreckage of) A plane but they don't know if it's the same one. One report said: "there was no sign of the pilot". The map shown on the news appeared to indicate that the location of the found wreckage was pretty much on a direct line from the pilot's departure point to his destination.

Also, I didn't realize that this flight took place last Friday evening/nite. I had thought the flight occurred on Saturday when the weather (at least around here) was really good. My recollection of the weather late Friday was of pretty crappy conditions for a day VFR flight and way worse than I'd expect anyone to be flying night VFR. I think there was low scuddy clouds, drizzle or light rain, and 1-2 miles visibility. I didn't pay much attention to the weather further north but I think it was as bad or worse.
 
gismo said:
I didn't pay much attention to the weather further north but I think it was as bad or worse.
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Yeah, not a good time to go on a night VFR cross country....

1258178400


1258178400
 
What a tragic loss for that family. Kind of makes me angry. Why do these things keep happening? Was it not obvious that it was a bad idea?

Never mind...
 
wby0nder said:
What a tragic loss for that family. Kind of makes me angry. Why do these things keep happening? Was it not obvious that it was a bad idea?

Never mind...
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Obviously it wasn't obvious to the pilot but I don't know why.
 
My mother in law mentioned this accident this evening, so I laid out the risk factors for that flight that I choose not to engage in...low time pilot, long night flight over very sparsely populated and heavily forested areas, not to mention less than ideal weather...

Very sad indeed...I suppose he wanted to go hunting in the morning...
 
Was it not obvious that it was a bad idea?
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Obvious to someone with more experience. Probably he did not understand what he was getting into.
 
Jack Spectre said:
My mother in law mentioned this accident this evening, so I laid out the risk factors for that flight that I choose not to engage in...low time pilot, long night flight over very sparsely populated and heavily forested areas, not to mention less than ideal weather...
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All that, plus no help from the moon, either...


Trapper John
 
All that, plus no help from the moon, either...
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The reports from the site appear to be consistent with a steep spiral. (photo link: http://www.inforum.com/event/image/id/269953)

"A private pilot from Walker, Minn., spotted the plane, noticing the tail fin sticking up out of a brushy, wooded site about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. ... The appearance of the wreckage told the sheriff's department that there didn't appear to be any hope of a rescue Tuesday night ... "

The specific area of the crash is very sparsely populated/lighted. Darkness above, darkness below ...
 
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And, he could have had engine, instrument, or electrical failure, even bird strike or pilot incapacitation. There's no telling.
 
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