Posted 2:49 pm Friday, February 10, 2012
UPDATE: Sunken Plane Secured, Pilot Still Missing
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By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
Divers have secured the airplane that crashed into Lake Palestine Wednesday night, but authorities say the pilot remains missing at this hour.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Lynn Hubert said the plane is being lifted from the water near the dam and all indications are the pilot landed the plane in the water without severely damaging the aircraft.
“It appears he knew exactly what he was doing. We have the plane out of the water except for the nose section. The rest of the aircraft remains intact,” he said. “The seatbelt was unbuckled and it appears the window was opened by the pilot, because there are no indications of broken glass.”
The pilot was last seen Wednesday when his single engine Varga took off from a Jacksonville fueling station about 10:40 a.m.
The aircraft is registered to Fred Scholz, of Anderson County, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. DPS officials, however, declined to provide the identity of the pilot they are looking for. Friends and neighbors, though, said they believe Scholz is the missing pilot.
Dive crews found the Varga in Blackburn Bay on Lake Palestine and the FAA positively identified the tail number as the plane in question, but the pilot was not inside.
Hubert said new information shows the aircraft may have actually floated several minutes before it began sinking into the cold waters of Lake Palestine.
“It would appear he had enough time to get out of the plane, but what happened to him from there we just do not know at this time,” he said.
Hubert said the search for the pilot will resume this afternoon after mechanical issues on several boats are addressed.
He added there were several dive teams in the water with Parks and Wildlife, DPS, area fire departments and Alert Academy.
Hubert said canines are also en route to the area.
Updated Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2:48 p.m. CST
Staff Writer
Divers have secured the airplane that crashed into Lake Palestine Wednesday night, but authorities say the pilot remains missing at this hour.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Lynn Hubert said the plane is being lifted from the water near the dam and all indications are the pilot landed the plane in the water without severely damaging the aircraft.
“It appears he knew exactly what he was doing. We have the plane out of the water except for the nose section. The rest of the aircraft remains intact,” he said. “The seatbelt was unbuckled and it appears the window was opened by the pilot, because there are no indications of broken glass.”
The pilot was last seen Wednesday when his single engine Varga took off from a Jacksonville fueling station about 10:40 a.m.
The aircraft is registered to Fred Scholz, of Anderson County, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. DPS officials, however, declined to provide the identity of the pilot they are looking for. Friends and neighbors, though, said they believe Scholz is the missing pilot.
Dive crews found the Varga in Blackburn Bay on Lake Palestine and the FAA positively identified the tail number as the plane in question, but the pilot was not inside.
Hubert said new information shows the aircraft may have actually floated several minutes before it began sinking into the cold waters of Lake Palestine.
“It would appear he had enough time to get out of the plane, but what happened to him from there we just do not know at this time,” he said.
Hubert said the search for the pilot will resume this afternoon after mechanical issues on several boats are addressed.
He added there were several dive teams in the water with Parks and Wildlife, DPS, area fire departments and Alert Academy.
Hubert said canines are also en route to the area.
Updated Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2:48 p.m. CST
