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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 July 2002

Contact for California Wing activities:
     Maj Alice Mansell, CAP Tel: 650.322.2601, PA@cawg.cap.gov
Contact for Humboldt Sheriff's Department:
     Lt. Melanie Ciarabellini, Recorded Press Line: 707.268.3698

(Eureka, California) - - On 24 July 2002, the PA-28 140 aircraft with one 
aboard missing since the day before was spotted between Kneeland and 
Arcata, California.  It was located a few miles from its last known radar 
position.

The pilot, a retired USAF major general, was reported as having flown from 
the Sacramento area to Kneeland to wait for weather to lift at Arcata for a 
landing at Arcata in the afternoon of 23 July.  He was reported by the FAA 
to have taken off from Kneeland and had requested in instrument approach to 
Arcata.  His last known radar position was on the approach to Arcata. There 
were no emergency signals from the missing aircraft.

The California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was tasked by the California 
Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the Air Force Rescue 
Coordination Center to lead the search.  Participating agencies were the 
Eureka Police Department, Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, United 
States Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the FAA.  United 
States Air Force search assets from Oregon were available but not needed.

Yesterday, a Civil Air Patrol aircrew from Eureka Squadron 34 flew two 
sorties on the search in close coordination with a USCG helicopter and a 
CHP aircraft.  FAA's Seattle Center provided essential support in helping 
the pilots with aircraft separation in the small search area as well as 
providing updates on the FAA's progress in analyzing recorded radar data to 
narrow the search area.  CAP pilot, Captain Mike Hislop, reported his 
aircrew member Captain Doug Szymanski used a handheld infrared video camera 
borrowed from the Eureka Police Department during their search.  California 
Wing aircrews frequently use such borrowed equipment like a device borrowed 
this past April from the FBI to monitor cell phone transmissions on a 
missing aircraft search where there were reports of a cell phone call from 
possible survivors.

Before dark yesterday, the USCG helicopter crew while flying at 100-200' 
above ground level spotted the missing aircraft, located in heavy brush 
among pine trees, burned, and with no survivor.

For more information about the activities of the California Wing, see 
<http://cawg.cap.gov/>

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