Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 06/01) - A search-and-rescue operation was cut short July 30 after a missing airplane was located safe and sound, 24 hours after it failed to return to Inuvik.

Officials estimate the aborted rescue effort cost more than $100,000.

"Believe me, I'm relieved," a jubilant-sounding Olav Falsnes, Arctic Wings maintenance director said. He said he'd learned of the whereabouts of his missing plane and passengers just after noon.

The plane was found to be floating and out of gas in the early afternoon approximately 120 kilometres east of town on an unnamed lake directly south of the Wolverine River.

The pontoon-equipped Cessna 206 was last known to be 115 kilometres northeast of Inuvik. The pilot and three passengers were supposed to return shortly before 10 a.m. July 29.

A search and rescue operation for the plane was launched, coordinated out of CFB Trenton in Ontario. Capt. Tim Siebert, air coordinator for the rescue coordination centre in Trenton, said it appeared the pilot, "was trying to make it around some weather and ran out of gas."

Arctic Wings confirmed this in a press release, indicating that pilot Christopher Laguigne had "encountered low ceilings and fog. Christopher reacted appropriately and decided to divert around the fog."

A Coast Guard Helicopter conducted an initial search. A Buffalo rescue aircraft from CFB Comox landed at Mike Zubko Airport to take part in the search, but the Cessna was located shortly afterwards. A Hercules aircraft from Trenton was recalled en route to Inuvik.

Siebert said it is common for pilots to avoid using their radio after an emergency landing to conserve battery power, which is necessary to start a plane's engines.

"They don't want to drain their batteries," he said, and since aircraft radios only operate within their line of sight, it is unwise to use the radio unless an aircraft is directly overhead.

However, that doesn't explain why the pilot did not use his emergency beacon as soon as they landed.

All airplanes are equipped with an Emergency Locator Transmitter, which has its own battery.

"Just turn it on and we'll come and find you," said Siebert.

Arctic Wings office manager Justin Hane said Laguigne had radioed his coordinates to a plane he had been in contact with before landing, but was unaware the plane was out of radio range.