SANTA YNEZ, Calif. --
Three days later, crews are still searching from the skies for the missing pilot
from Solvang, CA.
Yosemite National Park
search and rescue crews have been concerned over the weather throughout the
search.
Central Coast News
took a look at the same exact model plane 'The Mooney M20' just like the one
missing pilot, Nicol Wilson flew when he disappeared as he flew over Yosemite
National Park.
Santa Ynez Airport
President Shawn Knight says the 1966 single-engine plan is known to be a very
safe.
"What makes it
uniquely safe is the roll cage that's actually built into the airplane so it
helps it to make it that much stronger," says Knight.
An experienced pilot, Wilson took
off from Santa Ynez Airport for Mammoth Lakes to meet with his family but never
made it.
An emergency locator transmitter
is required in every small plane. In the event of a crash a small piece of medal
within the transmitter collides with a switch to turn on the transmitter's
beacon. The beacon broadcasts a sound and signal so search and rescue teams can
triangulate where the crashed airplane is.
But crews have been searching day
and night over the North Dome of the park where Wilson's signal was last
detected but with little luck.
Yosemite National Park says they
have five planes and one helicopter searching the North Dome but it is in an
area not accessible by foot or vehicle so they have a tough road ahead.
"It didn't activate," says
Knight. "If it did, it didn't stay on long enough for the search and rescue to
be able to hear it or identify it."
