26 Aircraft Search For Missing Plane Private Plane From Wenatchee Failed To Return From Cascades

Twenty-six aircraft searched about 15,000 square miles Tuesday for a small, private plane that was reported missing on a sightseeing flight through the Cascade Mountains.

Three people were on board the plane, which failed to return on schedule Monday, said Brian Holmes, chief pilot for the state Transportation Department’s aviation division.

The pilot was identified as Bill Lund, 26, of Wenatchee. His passengers were his father, Don Lund, 58, of Wenatchee, and his uncle, Cal Ziegler, 70, of Eugene, Ore.

The plane departed from Wenatchee Monday morning for Glacier Peak and was expected back by early afternoon, Holmes said.

Searchers are looking at a huge region bound by U.S. 97 in the east, U.S. 2 in the south, Glacier Peak in the west and the ridge along the north side of Lake Chelan, Holmes said.

“And as you know, a good portion of the Lake Chelan south area is burning, and that makes everybody’s problems more intense because that’s our search area,” Holmes said.

No trace of the plane or occupants was found by Tuesday evening, Holmes said. The search was to resume today.