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Private Plane Missing Near Colville

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A search is underway for a missing plane near Colville.

Officials say a 67 year-old male pilot took off Monday from the Northeast Washington town around noon, but failed to return.

Barbara LaBoe of the Washington Department of Transportation says two search flights were carried out Monday, but they failed to find any trace of the missing Cessna 182 Skylane.

“Today they’re doing a ground search due to the weather and visibility in the area, and coordinating with Spokane and Stevens County search and rescue,” Laboe said.

Laboe says it is assumed the pilot was going up for a short flight.

“The pilot’s plan was to fly for about an hour and return back to Colville, so it should be in that general area. Of course we don’t know where that is at this point, but that is the assumption the search teams are working under,” she said.

No emergency beacon signals or other distress signals have been recorded in the area.

At this time no other details about the plane and pilot are being released.

LaBoe says anyone with information on seeing what might have been a plane in trouble can call the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office.

Steve was part of the Spokane Public Radio family for many years before he came on air in 1999. His wife, Laurie, produced Radio Ethiopia in the late 1980s through the '90s, and Steve used to “lurk in the shadowy world” of Weekend SPR. Steve has done various on air shifts at the station, including nearly 15 years as the local Morning Edition host. Currently, he is the voice of local weather and news during All Things Considerd, writing, editing, producing and/or delivering newscasts and features for both KPBX and KSFC. Aside from SPR, Steve ,who lives in the country, enjoys gardening, chickens, playing and listening to music, astronomy, photography, sports cars and camping.