Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Aviation News Service

October 25, 2004







Search Suspended for Missing L-39 Plane



ELLENSBURG - Last night, after five and a half days of combing over 2,700
square miles, search and rescue teams officially suspended the search for a
missing L-39 single-engine trainer jet, according to Tom Peterson, WSDOT Air
Search and Rescue Coordinator. Pilot Rocky Stewart and passenger Scott
Smith were on board the aircraft Tuesday, October 19 when it departed Boeing
Field in the afternoon and disappeared from radar near Easton. The plane
was headed to Lewiston, Idaho.



Since Tuesday afternoon, rescue teams from WSDOT, Washington Air Search and
Rescue, the Civil Air Patrol, King County, Kittitas County, Chelan County,
and Snohomish County have participated in the search by air and ground. The
search effort included two helicopters, 12 fixed winged aircraft, and about
100 search and rescue personnel per day.



"The radar information led us to an area between Kachess Lake and Keechelus
Lake, which is near Easton," said Peterson. "We flew that area numerous
times. With the accumulating snow and no new leads to go on, we made the
decision to suspend official search efforts."



About a dozen family members had gathered at the search base in Ellensburg.
The Kittitas County Red Cross was on hand to provide family members with
meals for four days.



If anyone has information on the missing aircraft, please contact the
Kittitas County Sheriff's Office at (509) 925-8534.