Canadian crews assist U.S. Coast Guard in search for downed plane off Vancouver Island
Crews searching waters between Victoria and Port Angeles, Wash., for downed Cessna with 1 man on board
Canadian search and rescue crews continue to search for a missing pilot whose small plane went down over the ocean along the B.C.-Washington state border.
Two Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft and the Canadian Coast Guard cutter Sir Wilfrid Laurier have joined the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military officials in the effort to find the man and his Cessna 170 in the waters between Victoria and Port Angeles, Wash.
The man was flying solo from Ketchican, Alaska to Port Angeles on Tuesday when U.S. officials received a mayday distress call shortly before 5 p.m. PT.
Lt.-Cmdr. Tony Wright of the Canadian Forces Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria said on Tuesday the pilot described his location during the mayday call.
"We're supporting the U.S. Coast Guard,'' Wright said, adding he had no other information immediately available.