Missing airplane on flight from Penticton to Edmonton

[Diadem]

It would make a lot more sense to head up towards the Yellowhead if they were on their way to Edmonton. I found it strange from the beginning that they would follow the Trans-Canada to Alberta and then make almost a 90 degree turn rather than taking the more direct route, which also has lower terrain.

[Notapilot1]

It would make a lot more sense to head up towards the Yellowhead if they were on their way to Edmonton. I found it strange from the beginning that they would follow the Trans-Canada to Alberta and then make almost a 90 degree turn rather than taking the more direct route, which also has lower terrain.

From what I have heard, following the Trans Canada was a normal route for most pilots?

[rookiepilot]

It would make a lot more sense to head up towards the Yellowhead if they were on their way to Edmonton. I found it strange from the beginning that they would follow the Trans-Canada to Alberta and then make almost a 90 degree turn rather than taking the more direct route, which also has lower terrain.

From what I have heard, following the Trans Canada was a normal route for most pilots?

Yes, that's correct, for an east west crossing, although some will take a short cut where the highway does a big half loop (I've done that). Following the TC more or less would be a prudent choice for most pilots.

[Diadem]

From what I have heard, following the Trans Canada was a normal route for most pilots?

It would be the normal route on an east-west routing, but from Penticton to Edmonton it would be pretty much a wash whether to take Rogers Pass or head up to the Yellowhead Pass; the Yellowhead is lower and wider, so for someone going to Edmonton it might be a better choice. Perhaps the plan was always to head up Kinbasket Lake towards the Yellowhead, or perhaps upon seeing the weather in Rogers Pass the pilot decided to try that way instead.

[cncpc]

It would make a lot more sense to head up towards the Yellowhead if they were on their way to Edmonton. I found it strange from the beginning that they would follow the Trans-Canada to Alberta and then make almost a 90 degree turn rather than taking the more direct route, which also has lower terrain.

From what I have heard, following the Trans Canada was a normal route for most pilots?

Yes, that's correct, although some will take a short cut where the highway does a big half loop (I've done that). Following the TC more or less would be a prudent choice for most pilots.

No it's not. If you have to follow the TC, it's not the prudent choice, unless the Yellowhead or Valemount Arm route is bad as well. It's may be 10 shorter, so on a CAVU day with light winds, it may be a marginally better choice.

[W5]

‘Metal detector you can put into the air’ will be used to search for couple in missing Edmonton-bound plane

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/metal-detec ... -1.3846756

[RatherBeFlying]

There's lots of shrapnel and unexploded shells in the Rogers Pass avalanche chutes that a magnetometer might pick up.

Aircraft are mostly aluminum.

I'd try out the magnetometer at an airport first to determine the detection range. Check with the airport operator first to see if they will allow a drone. Read up on Transport Canada regulations on drone operation.

[Diadem]

About a week ago, I got a message from a user who's been very active in this thread, which is titled "Missing Mooney", and all it says is "It's within a mile of two of Mabel Lake airport." There's no more context to it, and (s)he hasn't responded to my inquiry for more information, so I don't know if this is referring to the aircraft's location. I haven't found any news reports about this, and it almost seems like the message could be from the middle of a private discussion, so maybe it was accidentally sent to me for some reason. Perhaps someone from the Okanagan can suss out whether there's a basis for looking around Mabel Lake.

[anofly]

Maybe we need to determine what was this pilots normal route? assuming he had made the trip in the past?

[oldncold]

I 'd urge all those planing back country trips this summer into the Canadian Rockies , Purcell, and st Marys and Valhalla mountain ranges to keep an eye out. there are several families that need and appreciate some closure of lost loved ones. keep in mind that due to this winter high snow packs and possible avalanches along with any glacial movement the aircraft may have moved down slope ,as much several hundred feet.

If you are in a basin or bottom of a cirque look up those side of mountains. not to be cruel,or morbid but bears ,cougars and other critters are emerging to forage the high country, lets find these planes before they do .

[RatherBeFlying]

Foxes and wolverines don't hibernate. Emerging bears check out the avalanche chutes. Very few remains of Steve Fossett were found after his wallet turned up on a mountainside a year after he disappeared.

Many other missing aircraft in the BC mountains remain unfound.

That said, the Rogers Pass area has lots of visitation from climbers and hikers. I'd put up notes at the ACC huts and trailheads. July and August are the months when the previous winter's snow cover is largely gone.

DO NOT venture on glaciers and snowfields without training and equipment for glacier travel and crevasse rescue.

[anofly]

how is the snow out there now? anyone looking? news?

[cncpc]

how is the snow out there now? anyone looking? news?

I believe the family are in the Mabel Lake area organizing renewed searching.

[Cbw]

Hacked.

[J31]

They are hiding something! NOTHING ADDS UP AT ALL! They have even threatened to harm people if they never stopped trying to help look for plane. I can’t see The military and search and rescue with screwup that bad and search that far from the right area I’m sure technology is more right than an eyewitness

Ah.....what

[Loner]

They are hiding something! NOTHING ADDS UP AT ALL! They have even threatened to harm people if they never stopped trying to help look for plane. I can’t see The military and search and rescue with screwup that bad and search that far from the right area I’m sure technology is more right than an eyewitness

Cbw...this is your first post...
Are you okay?
Many of us reading your statement are wondering WTF?!

[MrWings]

Wacky conspiracy theories are directly proportional to grammatical errors.

- MrWings' law

[cncpc]

Wacky conspiracy theories are directly proportional to grammatical errors.

- MrWings' law

There is one theory which explains the otherwise incomprehensible behaviour represented by the aircraft's known flight path, and possible path afterwards. Besides just an inexperienced pilot making wrong decisions and showing poor airmanship.

A few people know what that is. Certainly Search and Rescue did. It may not be the truth at all, but there is a basis for that speculation. It is definitely not a wacky conspiracy theory.

Unless a quite experienced pilot standing at the button of 34 at Mabel Lake about 20 minutes before dark was hallucinating, that Mooney passed overhead from the west, proceeded a bit towards what would be left crosswind for 16, then durned to a sort of downwind for 16 and disappeared from sight. At approximately the same time, 2 people about 4 clicks west of the airfield heard what they said sounded like an airplane crash.

At the time, the pilot estimated a ceiling of 700 overcast with 1/2 mile vis.

The families of the two missing people have continued enormous ongoing effort to find their loved ones. Hundreds have come to help them. None of them are involved in any alternate theory or universe. They just trying to find an airplane and hopefully some remains to recover. As far as I know they have an abundance of resolve, and next to no knowledge of how to efficiently and effectively search for an airplane.

The alphabet soup guy who started this up may not have all his facts right, but many people in Mabel Lake feel other people are looking to find the airplane before anyone else. I do understand the RCMP have told people who may have seen the aircraft not to talk to anyone and not to look for it. They say it's in Rogers Pass. Which means the Mabel Lake pilot was making things up. I've spoken to him. Very credible guy.

It is possible that the airplane has already been found. I expect it's within five clicks of Mabel Lake airport. I'd expect a morning with a couple of R44s would find it. There's no evidence that anything other than would normally be found at an 8 month old crash that has overwintered. Lots of talk though.

[Cliff Jumper]

It is definitely not a wacky conspiracy theory.

I do understand the RCMP have told people who may have seen the aircraft not to talk to anyone and not to look for it.

Wow.

Those two statements can't both be true.

Pick one or the other.

[7ECA]

SO, what is this theory then?

No point in beating 'round the bush - out with it.

[cncpc]

It is definitely not a wacky conspiracy theory.

I do understand the RCMP have told people who may have seen the aircraft not to talk to anyone and not to look for it.

Wow.

Those two statements can't both be true.

Pick one or the other.

I wouldn't have written them if they weren't both true.

[anofly]

This thread is getting bizzare. Now we have more than one person saying the RCMP have told folks not to look for the plane?!
and also someone is saying maybe someone has found it already?! and is not saying?!
and someone being threatened for continuing to look for the plane?!
This is almost too weird for me now.
What could possibly be the alternate explanation for an airplane making a series of turns,during a descent, to get below what was a very low ceiling in the rogers pass, on the way home to edmonton....., its pretty normal to try to stay vfr, when you are vfr...
i wish so much they just landed .... and waited out some bad weather...
and if indeed they went back towards mabel lake, how did that happen without a radar path on flightaware etc? and or why did it happen without a radar path. i think they would have had to fly back over revelstoke .
can a cell phone "see its way" from mabel lake to the 10 ish pm cell pings that the towers "heard" east of revelstoke?

[Brock_Landers]

Intrigued... following

[Cliff Jumper]

It is definitely not a wacky conspiracy theory.

I do understand the RCMP have told people who may have seen the aircraft not to talk to anyone and not to look for it.

Wow.

Those two statements can't both be true.

Pick one or the other.

I wouldn't have written them if they weren't both true.

You are suggesting that the police, as a whole, are engaging in a cover-up. That is a wacky conspiracy theory, full stop.

[█████]

The family has requested privacy during this difficult time.