Bodies recovered from Snohomish Co. plane crash

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the death of two males recovered Sunday from airplane wreckage in the rugged Cascades. The victims are believed to be a father and son from the Deer Park area. Identification of the victims was being withheld until the medical examiner’s office completes its investigation. Dental records were being sought to make identifications, and that is delaying the release of identities until Tuesday at the earliest, a spokeswoman said. A team of rescuers with mountaineer skills recovered the bodies on Sunday down a rugged ridge in a backcountry area northeast of Granite Falls, according to the Everett Herald online. The single-engine Piper PA 22 reportedly left an airstrip at Elk Heights in Spokane County on Friday and never made it to the occupants’ planned destination in Arlington. The annual Arlington Fly-In for general aviation aircraft was held at the airport there through Sunday, drawing single-engine and performance aircraft from throughout the region and Canada. FAA records show that Elk Heights airstrip is owned by Matthew and Nanine Annis and that Matthew Annis is the owner of the 1953 Piper PA 22. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash