The press release:
GAYLORD, Mich. – Members of the U.S. Civil Air Patrol's Michigan Wing began searching on Saturday (Aug. 25) for a small, single-engine plane with two people on board along the eastern coast of lower Michigan.
More than 60 wing members and five CAP aircraft wing are currently involved in the extensive search, along with members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The overdue aircraft departed Mackinac Island Airport on Friday afternoon (Aug. 24) en route to Bad Axe, Mich. The search area has been concentrated along the aircraft's projected flight path along the coast.
Michigan Wing search operations today include six aircraft and two ground teams and mission base staff. The search is being conducted by members of the wing's Gaylord, Au Sable, Traverse City and Alpena Composite squadrons, as well as other wing support personnel from all over the state of Michigan.
All Civil Air Patrol search efforts are being coordinated out of wing's mission base established at Gaylord Regional Airport in Gaylord, Mich. Major Randolph Rice, the Incident Commander, when asked about the status of the mission reported "...Civil Air Patrol has been around for more than 66 years, this is what we train for and we have many many dedicated people to draw from, all over Michigan..."
If anyone has any information that might help the Michigan Wing locate this overdue aircraft or its two passengers, please contact Maj. Patrick Gorman, wing mission information officer, at
(248) 565-2001.
Good Luck, MIWG. In CA, we had an overdue one today and got two aircraft up on a route search before the plane was found, safe and sound on the ground. Guy dropped off flight following up in the Sierras: never checked in with Center on a hand off. Good ending.
Good hunting, Wolverines.
I have flown over that terrain before. And trained on the ground in it. This is not going to be an easy one. Rolling hills and a lot of pine forests.
Who launched on the Ca search?
Mission suspended this morning by the AFRCC.