Blue skies help rescuers search for plane carrying Kiski Valley residents
A small plane carrying three Kiski Valley residents remained missing Wednesday despite sunny weather in West Virginia that helped search and rescue teams scan the state's mountainous terrain for signs of the aircraft lost since Sunday night.
"We are still actively searching and the weather has greatly improved to get aircraft in the air," said Jeff Schrock, a spokesman for the Civil Air Patrol's West Virginia wing.
Civil Air Patrol members and other volunteers spent a third day Wednesday scouring the rugged mountains near the West Virginia-Virginia border for the plane and they'll continue the search today.
They are looking for a Piper PA-32R plane piloted by Michael Fiori Garrone, 52, of Allegheny Township. Also aboard were Garrone's friends, Parks Township couple Chas Armitage Jr., 52, and Laura Stettmier, 49.
Schrock said seven Civil Air Patrol planes, a Maryland State Police helicopter and a West Virginia State Police helicopter have been involved in the search. Although the total search area constitutes thousands of heavily wooded square miles, the area around Petersburg, W.Va., about 200 miles south of Pittsburgh, is receiving the most attention.
Breaks in the clouds and blue skies made it easier for planes to fly Wednesday, Schrock said.
Schrock said if additional aircraft are needed, the CAP will ask states to provide additional help such as Air National Guard units.
Jimmy Gianato, who directs West Virginia Homeland Security & Emergency Management, said the state will do more if the patrol requests it. "We're relying on our incident commanders to tell us," he said.
"There are aircraft from the CAP, West Virginia and Maryland state police and now also from Virginia state police," he said. "There are plenty of aviation assets."
Additional fire companies and search-and-rescue volunteers and employees were expected to join the search, he said.
"We're looking at the last know radar position and we're looking at other radar assets," he said.
"Remember, this is a very dense, very wooded area and they are looking for a small plane," Gianato said.
On the ground, five teams scoured the south fork of the South Branch River near Moorefield, W. Va., until dark Wednesday.
"We're still just concentrating on areas ... we think are high probable areas," he said.
The plane went missing Sunday evening as it was en route from Danville in southern Virginia to Johnstown. Garrone reportedly had requested permission to land at the Grant County Airport in Petersburg, W.Va., but his plane dropped out of radio and radar contact near Bergton, Va.
The emergency beacon on Garrone's airplane hasn't been detected despite a concerted effort to find it, Schrock said. The device usually triggers after impact.
Schrock said the lack of a signal could be an issue with the battery.
Gianato said aircraft beacon batteries usually last about a week or so unless they have been damaged.
But there could be another reason the signal hasn't been heard even though rescue crews have monitored the frequency since the beginning of the search, Gianato said.
This (airplane) is newer and it likely uses a newer satellite-based beacon, he said.
"The satellite-based type won't work if the airplane is under a dense canopy of trees," Gianato said.
Despite the length of the search, Schrock said family members, some of whom are assisting in the search, remain optimistic.
Civil Air Patrol crews, too, are keeping positive about the well-being of those on board.
"But we also have to keep in the back of our minds that time is a factor and, as the days and hours drag out, then you have to consider the other alternative," Schrock said. "But we are always optimistic in situations like this."
