Search Efforts Ongoing for Pilot Who Vanished in Nevada

An unidentified 26-year-old Mississippi man is the subject of a continuing search effort near Elko, Nevada, after his twin-engine Piper disappeared last Thursday. The Elko County Sheriff’s Office said the commercial pilot was flying from California to Salt Lake City when his plane went missing, and Sgt. Nick Czegledi suggested that weather problems may be the cause.

"There were reports of some potential icing issues on the wing, and there was some really heavy wind that night," he said. The pilot, who was transporting aerial photography equipment, reportedly contacted ATC about his icing problem.

The airplane disappeared from radar in the Ruby Mountains, though an ELT signal was never received. A helicopter was dispatched on Thursday evening to begin the search. Local residents also set out on foot to look for wreckage; however, the search was ended due to darkness. The search continued on Friday, and Civil Air Patrol pilots said they thought they saw something in the Ruby Marshes area, but search crews found nothing.

Efforts continued through Monday, with several groups pitching in, as well as more local volunteers. Elko County undersheriff Ron Supp told the Elko Daily Free Press that they now believe the plane's location "might be farther east."