(JESSICA WALLACE / iNFOnews.ca)
August 07, 2013 - 9:11 AM
"HE WAS QUALIFIED TO FLY SOLO"
KAMLOOPS - The search continues today for a plane and a student pilot who was expected back at the Kamloops Airport nearly 24 hours ago.
Captain Pat McSorley of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria said the search is being directed by a sighting and radar report. Crews continue to search northwest of Kamloops Lake, headed back towards the city.
"We have a pretty good idea of where he was last at," McSorley said.
The centre is working in conjunction with RCMP to find the pilot and Single Prop 172 Cessna plane that left about 10:30 a.m. yesterday from the airport and failed to return.
The young pilot, whose name has not been released, was expected back no later than 12:30 p.m. yesterday after a solo fly. McSorley said he was a student, not fully licensed.
"He was qualified to fly solo," he said.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen the plane that can be identified by it's tail markers 'CFQTR' around 11:30 a.m. this morning near Kamloops lake to contact the local detachment as soon as possible by calling 250-828-3000.
"We've got a search plan in for today," McSorley said. "If (we don't find anything), we'll refine it, and we'll search again tomorrow."
To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013