April 25, 2009: CAP Takes to the Sky in Search of Missing Motorized Sailplane in Sierra Nevadas

Image by dvs via Flickr

 On this date in 2009, the Civil Air Patrol members from California and Nevada were called out to assist in the search of a missing pilot and passenger in the Sierra Nevadas.

An excerpt from a release from Nellis AFB:

5/6/2009 - MERCED, Calif. (AFNS) -- An HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue crew from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., found the wreckage an overdue aircraft in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range May 1.

The missing aircraft was the subject of the large-scale search by state officials and Civil Air Patrol members, but there were no survivors from the wreckage.

The family of the incident has been notified. 

Four helicopters and 24 Airmen from the 58th and 66th Rescue squadrons deployed to assist in the search for a pilot and passenger who were aboard a motorized sailplane that disappeared from radar April 24 near Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

The couple was reported overdue when they failed to arrive in Modesto, Calif. on a flight from Tonopah, Nev. The Civil Air Patrol was activated by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and a full scale search was initiated April 25.

Over the next week, more than 200 Civil Air Patrol members from throughout California and Nevada flew more than 150 missions in support of the search. They were joined by helicopters from the California National Guard at Moffett Federal Airfield and personnel and aircraft from the 58th and 66th Rescue squadrons.

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Want to learn more or join the Civil Air Patrol? Browse http://gocivilairpatrol.com

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