Hunt for missing plane

UPDATE: 6:15 a.m.

The search for a small plane that went missing en route from Penticton to Edmonton is scheduled to resume at dawn today.

Civil Aviation Search and Rescue planes flying out of Kamloops and Vernon were among those searching for the single-engine Mooney on Sunday.  

Two Parks Canada helicopters, a charter helicopter and a military helicopter from a base in Comox searched the area around Revelstoke on Sunday, but low clouds hampered the effort.

The search has focused on that region after the pilot's cellphone pinged in the area.

UPDATE: 9:15 p.m. 

Castanet has now confirmed that Dominic Neron was on the plane at the time of takeoff from Penticton on Saturday. 

The sister of Neron told Castanet the search has ended for the day. 

"I pray he is OK," Tammy Neron said. "I don't know anything and they haven't had any luck so far." 

"Last I heard, the crews stopped [searching] at sun fall." 

Castanet will update when more information becomes available.

ORIGINAL: 3:01 p.m.

Search and rescue crews are looking for a small aircraft that took off from Penticton on Saturday and disappeared on its way to Alberta, according to a Canadian Coastguard official.

Two people were on board the single-engine Mooney aircraft when it left the Penticton Regional Airport at 2:30 p.m. yesterday.

It was expected to land in Edmonton, but never arrived.

Katelyn Moores, spokesperson for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre Victoria said “they reported the overdue aircraft about 10:40 p.m. Saturday.”

A search for the white aircraft with burgundy striping, started late Saturday night and went into the morning Sunday.

A Hercules aircraft conducted an electronic search, but could not find anything, according to Moores.

“Their last known position was approximately two miles north of Revelstoke,” said Moores.

The name registered to the aircraft is Dominic Neron, of Spruce Grove, Alta., who has been its owner since Sept. 9, 2017. The Mooney aircraft was manufactured in 1963.

A Cormorant helicopter, a Buffalo aircraft from Canadian Forces Base Comox, two Parks Canada helicopters and a chartered helicopter from Arrow Helicopters out of Revelstoke have all been involved in the search.

“The focus right now is from Revelstoke to Golden, focusing on the Rogers Pass area,” she said. "The pilot's cellphone pinged about 32 kilometres northeast of Revelstoke." 

There were three Civil Air Search and Rescue Association aircrafts from Kelowna that attempted to assist but could not fly due to the bad weather.

“The weather is deteriorating in the area so it is effecting the search efforts,” she said.

All surrounding airports have also been checked for the aircraft.