By Robert Canning | Associated Press
[Editor’s Note: If this plane had not been found by the Sheriff’s helicopter, CAP Kentucky Wing certainly would not have found him. The CAP was searching 3 to 4 miles from Rough Airport while his last cellphone activity showed him within 5 miles from the Falls of Rough airport. The crash site was located along the original route to Owensboro Airport about 13 to 15 miles northwest of Rough Airport. Apparently, the CAP Incident Commander did not know what he was doing. This is a waste of tax payer dollars.]
Kentucky State Police say debris spotted from a helicopter is from a plane that’s been missing in western Kentucky since Monday and a body has been recovered from the plane. The debris was found in thick woods, roughly 2 miles off of Hopewell Church Road in the Fordsville community in Hancock County. The wreckage is very deep in the woods and is difficult to get to.
Police said in a news release Wednesday night that officials have not been able to positively confirm the body is the 70-year-old missing pilot, Robert C. Dalzell Jr, but have notified the family. An autopsy was scheduled.
A news release from police said the site is in thick woods in the Fordsville community of Hancock County. The Federal Aviation Administration will be at the scene Thursday to investigate.
Update Wednesday Afternoon: Kentucky State Police say a helicopter has spotted debris in western Kentucky where searchers have been looking for a plane and pilot missing since Monday.
Police said in a news release the area is near the Hancock-Breckinridge county line. The location was spotted around 2 p.m. Wednesday, and ground crews are attempting to reach it.
Original Story:
The Kentucky State Police and the Civil Air Patrol are searching for a missing plane in western Kentucky.
Police say pilot Robert C. Dalzall Jr left the Owensboro Regional Airport yesterday (Monday) morning and landed at Falls of Rough in Grayson County about 35 minutes later. He later departed from Falls of Rough, but never returned to the Owensboro airport.
KSP says “his last cellphone activity showed him within 5 miles of the Falls of Rough airport. The 70-year-old Dalzall of Owensboro was flying a 2012 Green Aero Criquet Bogota fixed-wing plane with tail number of N429BB.”
Dalzell is 5 feet 5 inches tall, 175 pounds with grey hair and hazel eyes. Civil Air Patrol currently has two planes searching the region. Police are asking anyone between the two airports to keep an eye out.
Civil Air Patrol Update:
After searching all day Tuesday, the Civil Air Patrol has narrowed its search from four counties and hundreds of miles, to about three to four miles from the Falls of Rough Airport in Grayson County.
“We view probable areas from where an aircraft could be missing from or going down in. We plot out that area and go and search that area,” Kentucky Wing Commander, Col Cory Felts said.
Crews say most of the terrain they are searching is covered in trees, making it hard to see. The search for Robert Dalzell was called off Tuesday night around 7 p.m. The plan for Wednesday is to increase the number of people searching in the air and on the ground.
“We will use the time this evening once it gets dark, to plot out additional areas. Cause we have been searching other smaller air fields on private property or the air fields in the area such as the Leitchfield airport. Just to see if perhaps there was a problem and this gentleman landed there as well,” Col Felts added.
Related Stories:
• Ground Crews on Way to Possible Crash Site of Missing Plane
• Pilot, Plane Missing after Leaving Grayson County Airport
This failure happens so often, someone should cry fowl. If a helicopter is required to find a downed aircraft in heavy summer tree cover, then why the hell must the public foot the bill for these unqualified hobbyists to fly fix-wing aircraft in the search?