An appeal for tips from the public to help find a plane missing north of Sault Ste. Marie has so far come up empty.
A Piper Comanche, with two men aboard, left Delhi, Ont., for Marathon, Ont., on April 14. The plane did not arrive in the community of 3,200, 410 kilometers northwest of the Sault. A search began the same day.
Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, based in Trenton, Ont., made an appeal on Tuesday to anyone who noticed a low-flying aircraft, or anything unusual, while traveling on Highway 17 between Wawa and the Sault at about 6 pm on April 14 .
“There have been a number of tips, but nothing that has led to any real information,” said Capt. Chris Dube, public affairs officer attached to air taskforce headquarters at Sault Ste. Marie Airport. Anyone who has a tip can call 613-966-1178.
Searchers still have not seen any sight of the plane or its occupants, nor has a signal from the craft’s emergency locator transmitter been detected.
“We continue the search efforts in difficult terrain,” said Dube on Wednesday afternoon.
High winds and a low ceiling “did impact” some search efforts on Tuesday. “Favourable” conditions summarized Wednesday morning. Poor conditions may have affected the search later Wednesday.
“As weather changes, our plans change and we move around to do what we can,” said Dube. Local conditions are checked to determine what grids can be searched.
The plane’s last known position was about 60 kilometers north of the Sault. Search efforts have more recently concentrated on the “northern leg” of the Piper Comanche’s path from Manitoulin to Marathon.
“That’s really the main focus point of most of the air assets right now,” said Dube.
Up to nine Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Coast Guard and civilian aircraft are looking for the missing plane. About 20 members of Civilian Air Search and Rescue Association drawn from several communities, including Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Barrie, are assisting.
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