OROVILLE, Wash. — Two people are dead after a plane wreckage was found in Aeneas Valley, according to the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
The plane was reported missing Saturday, with its radar showing its last location between Oroville and Okanogan.
According to WSDOT, emergency services used “cell phone forensics” to locate the plane. They also note that they received assistance from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to track down the wreckage.
WSDOT says they found the plane around 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Pilot Nicholas Grachanin and his passenger, Jim Marik, were found dead at the scene. Grachanin was 61 years old.
“On behalf of the search and rescue team, WSDOT extends our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives,” WSDOT Air Search and Rescue Coordinator and Incident Commander Tom Peterson said in a press release. “We are thankful to everyone who contributed their time, expertise and resources to this search effort.”
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