Plane missing with 10 aboard in Washington state

Source: Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Air crews launched a search and rescue mission at daybreak on Monday for an airplane carrying up to 10 people that is believed to have crashed in a mountainous area of Washington state, a state official said.

Searchers are acting on information provided by a hunter who reported hearing an aircraft in distress around 45 miles west of Yakima, said Nisha Marvel, a spokeswoman for Washington State Department of Transportation.

The missing Cessna 208 Caravan had been flying to Washington from Boise, Idaho, on Sunday evening and was carrying eight to 10 people, including parachutists traveling to an event in western Washington, Marvel said.

While crews must comb rugged terrain in the Cascades mountain range, their efforts will be helped by favorable weather, she said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0822720920071008

loaded with ten people and apparently alot of gear.

And it was flying over the Cascades at night.

You couldn't get me on a plane in those circumstances.

Never fails that all of those beeps that are supposed to locate a downed plane aren't kicking in.

Rainy and windy.

said it looks really bad. :(
no news about survivors yet.

edit: story...

Wreckage Found of Missing Plane in Wash.
By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer

Monday, October 8, 2007

(10-08) 23:10 PDT Yakima, Wash. (AP) --

Ground searchers following the smell of fuel found the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the rugged central Washington Cascades, but neither the pilot nor nine skydivers aboard appeared to have survived, a search official said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Ground searchers following the smell of fuel Monday night found the wreckage of a plane that had been carrying nine skydivers and a pilot. One body was recovered and no survivors had been found by late Monday.

more http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/08/national/a222709D61.DTL