HEADQUARTERS
CALIFORNIA WING - CIVIL AIR PATROL
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AUXILIARY
Post Office Box 7688
Van Nuys, CA 91409-7688

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31 May 2002

(CAP Edited Version of East Bay Regional Park District Press Release by 
Sgt. Dale Davidson)

On Monday, May 27, 2002, about 2230 hrs., a Cessna 182 airplane departed on
a flight from Grass Valley California to San Carlos Airport. About 2315
hrs., the FAA reported to East Bay Regional Park Police that radar contact
with the plane had been lost in the area of Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.
Ground patrol officers searched the region, however dark, foggy, wilderness
conditions prevented any sighting. Civil Air Patrol was then tasked to
locate the aircraft under AFRCC mission number 02M-1115 with Maj. Jan Ostrat
as Incident Commander. CAP worked through the night to narrow the search area
by using recorded weather and air traffic radar data.

At early light on Tuesday, May 28, Civil Air Patrol aircrew Lt's Nigel Ellis
and Jim Anthony of Concord Squadron 44 and an East Bay Regional Park Police
Helicopter crew searched the South West region of Pleasanton Ridge. Later
that morning the Concord aircrew was relieved by Civil Air Patrol aircrew
LTC Don Towse and Maj. Chuck Frank of San Jose Squadron 80. At approx 1130
hrs., the downed aircraft was located by the Park Police aircrew at 37
degrees, 38.11 minutes North by 121 degrees, 55.79 minutes West, on a steep
wilderness portion of the park, beneath a thick canopy of trees and brush.
The Park Police Helicopter landed on the ridge above the crash site and
dispatched several fire fighters to determine possibility of survivor(s) and
to confirm identification of the aircraft. The Civil Air Patrol aircraft
remained on scene to provide a communications relay platform and directional
assistance to ground personnel.

Firefighters from East Bay Regional Park District and members of the Alameda
County Search and Rescue descended the mountainside and recovered the
deceased occupant of the airplane. About 1900 hrs., the Alameda County
Sheriffs Coroners Office took custody of the victim, pending further
investigation by the NTSB and the Coroners Officer.
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