Search-and-rescue efforts began Friday afternoon for an Arkansas Forestry Commission pilot with whom the organization lost contact during an aerial wildfire survey of the Ouachita National Forest.
The commission reported last communicating with the pilot at 1:11 p.m., about an hour after he took off from Oden in a Cessna 210 single-engine plane bound for Wickes.
Late Friday, several government agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and local law enforcement officials had joined the commission in its search, coordinating from a command post in Mena and preparing to continue rescue efforts through the night. Helicopters with night-vision capabilities were provided by Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas National Guard.
Commission spokesman Adriane Barnes said the pilot has flown with the organization for more than four years. The pilot’s identity had not been released late Friday, but Barnes said his family had been notified of his disappearance.
During such wildfire-detection flights, pilots report back to the commission every 30 minutes as a safety precaution. Barnes said the pilot regularly flies the Oden-Wickes route and that he gave no indication of distress before contact was lost. Planes are inspected for safety every day, she added.
According to the commission, 214 acres of land across the state burned in wildfires Friday. The fires threatened 15 homes, but no damage or injuries were reported.
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 02/01/2014