The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming reports that at approximately 1:22pm on Tuesday, January 14th, sheriff’s deputies received a missing person report for a pilot whose private aircraft departed from the airport near Rock Springs but failed to reach its scheduled destination in California. The report prompted an intensive search and rescue effort throughout the afternoon and evening. Upon investigation and based on automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, authorities have focused their search and rescue efforts on an area near Pine and Little Mountain, southwest of Rock Springs. Investigators have identified the pilot as a man in his 50s from Green River, Wyoming, and the aircraft as a Piper Comanche. The Sweetwater County search and rescue team has deployed all available resources, coordinating efforts with local airport officials, private air assets, and the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol. “Low cloud cover hindered initial aerial search efforts, but rescuers redoubled their efforts to secure nighttime aerial search capabilities,” shares Tuesday’s report. Ground operations were suspended Tuesday night due to conditions with plans for search teams to resume ground efforts at daybreak today. All are urged to refrain from conducting searches or drawing conclusions about the pilot’s or the aircraft’s status. The Sheriff’s Office states that independent search efforts impede progress and risk the safety of everyone involved.
