2 Dead After Missing Plane Found in Remote Okanogan County

The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office says the search for a small private plane is over, following a crash that likely occurred over the weekend.

  Two Men On Board Died in Incident

The OCSO, along with the Civil Air Patrol, and ground search and rescue units, had been looking for the small red and white 1976 Piper Cub airplane after it was reported missing.

The OCSO said the aircraft had left Penticton British Columbia and was bound for Grangeville, Idaho. When it failed to arrive, the search began.

  The Plane Disappeared from Radar

According to the OCSO, the plane was last seen reported between Oroville and Okanogan, then vanished.  Officials had alerted the public in various areas, including Tonasket, to report if they'd seen an aircraft in the region that appeared to be having trouble or might have gone down.

The area searched was very rugged, and finally Sunday into Monday October 11-12, the wreckage was located in an area called the Aneas Valley, in the eastern part of Okanogan County.  The location was southwest of Republic.

   Little Has Been Released About the Pilot and Passenger

The OCSO said the two on board were only identified by their first names, James and Nicholas.  Monday, Officials from the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and FAA  (Federal Aviation Administration) were taken to the crash scene, which was in rugged, steep and remote terrain.

No other details have been released, pending the crash investigation.  (All images from the Okanogan County Sheriff's Department and Search and Rescue Teams)