Skydiving plane's crash site surveyed for life

October 9, 2007

Yakima, Washington - A plane loaded with skydivers has been located in the rugged terrain of Washington state, but no signs of life were found.

Searchers planned to take a closer look early Tuesday at the wreckage.

At least seven bodies were discovered Monday night after searchers spotted the wreckage south of Mount Rainier, according to Yakima Valley Emergency Management spokeswoman Lisa Truhlicka. No signs of life were detected.

The plane had been carrying nine skydivers and a pilot. Officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the three people whose bodies had not been found probably did not survive the crash.

The wreckage was in an area with steep terrain among heavy timber and brush, just 200 yards from where the last radar signal from the plane was detected, Yakima County Sheriff's Deputy Dan Cypher said.

The rough conditions and darkness prevented a full search of the wreckage on Monday night, he said.

Searchers found the front part of the plane Monday night, but the back section had not been found. Cypher described the crash site as "bad."

"Rescue teams are bivouacking at the site," he said. "At daybreak we will do a more thorough search."

The plane, a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan, fell off radar at 8 p.m. local time Sunday, about a half-hour after taking off from Boise, Idaho, bound for Shelton, Washington, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Ground and air rescue teams had been searching rugged terrain in Washington. The wreckage was found in the immediate area of the search focus, Cypher said.