Body of missing pilot, plane found in wooded forests near Queets, WSDOT says

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced Monday that search and rescue crews found the missing plane flown by Rod Collen, the pilot whose plane went missing over Queets early last month.

The plane was found in wooded forests near Queets. Collen was found dead inside of the aircraft, likely dying upon impact, WSDOT said.

Collen left the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35 p.m. on March 6 and a few minutes into the flight the plane’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was either turned off or malfunctioned and the plane was no longer visible on normal tracking systems the air traffic controllers use.

With the specialized radar forensics team, primary radar returns showed the aircraft near the coast between Lake Quinault and Queets. The final radar plots showed the aircraft made a rapid descent to the ground. Collen was the only one in the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, which could take between 12 and 18 months to complete.

“We know this is a tragic outcome for the family and community, and our thoughts are with them during this time. WSDOT would like to thank everyone who has supported the family throughout this search,” WSDOT said in its announcement.

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