Search efforts continue for missing Tacoma pilot one week after disappearance

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A break in the weather on Monday permitted crews to resume their search for a missing Tacoma pilot who disappeared during a flight last week, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.

On Mar. 6, WSDOT Search and Rescue was notified of a missing Cessna piloted by Rod Collen.

He left Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor at about 5:35 p.m. A few minutes later, the plane’s location tracking system was turned off or malfunctioned, according to WSDOT.

Collen was the only person inside the plane.

With the help of a forensics team, authorities used radar to determine that the aircraft made a “very rapid” descent to the ground.

Investigators believe the plane is somewhere in a 36-square-mile section of forest land near the coast, between Lake Quinault and Queets.

Last week, the weather permitted safe flying conditions for air searches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

After weather conditions improved late Monday afternoon, search and rescue crews utilized a state Department of Natural Resources helicopter in the search area for several hours but found nothing of significance.

Quinault Tribal Nation emergency management crews also flew a UAS drone over the search area but could not find anything of interest.

On Tuesday, two aircraft plan to search the area, along with the Quinault Tribal Nation’s drone operation,

No ground searches are planned until WSDOT can identify a more specific search area.

“We want more than anything to be able to return Mr. Collen back to his family and loved ones,” said Tina Werner, a WSDOT spokesperson. “They’re putting forth as much effort as they can to locate this plane, but the terrain is very challenging.”

Werner says there have been longer searches in the past that resulted in missing persons being found alive.

Search efforts are expected to continue throughout the rest of the week, weather permitting.

The missing plane, a 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane, is white with blue stripes and has a tail number of N24289.

Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane on Mar. 6 or spotted anything in the area is asked to call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details.

At this time, officials are not requesting volunteers to conduct either air or land searches as that may overlap or hamper already searched areas or new missions.

©2023 Cox Media Group