Plane disappears on skydive trip in US

The search for a plane carrying 10 people from a US skydiving company was focused on the rugged central Washington Cascades where a hunter reported hearing a crash.

The plane was en route to Shelton, Washington, on Sunday night, but never arrived, said Mike Fergus of the Federal Aviation Administration.

A hunter in the White Pass area told police he saw a plane flying low and heard a crash about 8pm, about an hour after the Cessna 208 Grand Caravan had left Star, Idaho.

The single-engine plane is registered to Kapowsin Air Sports of Shelton.

Ten people from Skydive Snohomish were scheduled to be on the plane, said Geoff Farrington, Kapowsin’s co-owner.

The names of those on board were not released, but Farrington said their families had been notified.

Elaine Harvey, who runs Skydive Snohomish, said her company, based at Harvey Field, about 20 miles north of Seattle, had not organised the trip to Idaho.

“These people were beloved friends,” Harvey told the Yakima Herald-Republic. “It is a very close knit community here ... and until we find out more information about what happened we’re just trying to hang in there for their families.”

The search area had been narrowed yesterday to southwest of Rimrock Lake, about 45 miles west of Yakima, based on the hunter’s report and radar information, said Nisha Marvel of the state Department of Transport.

Two helicopters and six aeroplanes suspended their search last night and planned to continue today.

Twenty-five ground searchers headed out yesterday evening to hike as far as possible and be in place for a renewed search at daybreak, said Tina Wilson with Yakima Valley Emergency Management.

Wayne Frudd of Yakima County rescue said the terrain was steep, rocky, and heavily forested – “dense, which makes the level of detection difficult”.

But he said the available information gave searchers a good idea of where to look.

Officials said the plane’s emergency locator was not activated.

The family-owned Kapowsin, more than 60 years old, has never lost a plane, Farrington said.

The plane, which was built in 1994, according to the FAA, had never experienced mechanical problems.