Authorities Search For Small Aircraft That Went Missing In Okanogan County

Authorities in North Central Washington are continuing their search for a small aircraft that went missing and is feared to have crashed in Okanogan County.

The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office says the 1976 Piper Cub took off from Penticton, British Columbia on Saturday afternoon and was bound for Grangeville, Idaho.

Officials say the plane was carrying two people they've identified as "James" and Nicholas," the pilot and his lone passenger. No other identifying information about the two occupants was provided, but images of the men appear to indicate that they are likely both in their 50s or 60s.

The Washington State Department of Transportation's Air Search & Rescue division initiated the search for the aircraft and the missing men on Saturday evening, several hours after the plane disappeared from radar somewhere between Oroville and Okanogan.

Crews have been actively scouring from the ground and air, particularly in the vicinity of Wauconda Pass and the Aeneas Valley, where residents are being advised to expect heavy air traffic and an official law enforcement presence until the search concludes.

Area residents are also being asked to provide any information they might have regarding the aircraft or its potential whereabouts by contacting the Sheriff's Office at 509-422-7200 or the Washington State Emergency Management Operations Center at 800-258-5990.

The Sheriff's Office is also assisting with the search operations, along with the Civil Air Patrol and the Okanogan County Emergency Management division.