The fourth day of the search for two missing continues after their plane mysteriously disappeared from radar signals about 60 kilometers north of Sault Ste. Maria last Thursday. In cases such as these involving aircraft and other aircraft, the Royal Canadian Air Force takes the lead as it has the mandate for aeronautical search and rescue. Major Trevor Reid, Senior Public Affairs Officer with the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Center, says the seven aircraft involved in the mission conducted visual searches day and night to look for ground-based aircraft evidence. For search and rescue involving lost aircraft, the team first goes through a “phase of uncertainty”, which can be stated when radio contact with an aircraft is lost and cannot be restored or when an aircraft fails to reach its destination. , which occurred in this case. The flight information center reported that the specific plane had been delayed at its destination in Marathon and had not arrived on Thursday night. “Unfortunately, we were unable to contact the two men on board,” Reid said. From there, the team tries to find out more about the situation and look for information on where the plane may be or whether the distress signal was activated. If these are not found, the team goes to the “stress base”, where it has reasonable certainty to believe that the aircraft is indeed in danger and the search is activated using aerial means. Reid says the search does not get easier as the forecast shows snowfall this afternoon and all week. “The weather is starting to get less favorable,” says Reid. “But we have some helicopters and research aircraft. Once again, they are gathering around the area where the plane was last spotted on the radar. “We also have aircraft that follow the flight plan between Delhi and Marathon.” Conditions are already difficult to cope with without snowfall, as the ground is very hilly with lots of snow and trees in some areas. “The area is difficult to quantify, but for a search like this, it often results in multiple passes in many locations at different altitudes. When we are dealing with hills, a small 3-D search effect is created. “ While the chances of finding both men alive may seem daunting, Reed says the search is still a rescue mission rather than a recovery, noting that every moment is precious. “We take on our mission minute by minute, hour by hour,” says Reid. “We do not want to look ahead. “Our focus is on the here and now to find them.” The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Trenton is staffed by both members of the Air Force for aeronautical cases and members of the Canadian Coast Guard for Maritime Affairs. Reed said electronic searches were also under way to try to obtain an emergency transmitter from the missing aircraft. Search aircraft are equipped with devices that can capture and sharpen emergency detection signals. These signals have not yet been detected. Reed pointed out that there may be several reasons why search and rescue teams were unable to get a signal from either the plane or the missing persons’ cellular devices, but he did not want to speculate as to why this was happening. year. Reid says the team continues to focus resources on the search area, as well as other routes along the men’s supposed route to Marathon, adding that there is no rescue schedule. “It would be dishonest to suggest that there is time on this tour or anything like that,” he explained. “Right now, we are constantly analyzing the situation and we have the resources that we may need.” – with files by Denise Paglinawan
