ROA Past National President Lost in Plane Crash
posted 7/26/2002
ROA PAST PRESIDENT LOST IN PLANE CRASH - ROA Past National President, Major General James C. Wahleithner, USAFR (Ret.), died when the private plane he was piloting crashed during an approach to Eureka Airport, Calif., in fog. The Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) led the search, and the wreckage was located Wednesday evening by a Coast Guard helicopter crew taking part in the search.
The Civil Air Patrol, California Wing, issued a press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 July 2002
Contact for California Wing activities:
Maj Alice Mansell, CAP Tel: 650.322.2601, PA@cawg.cap.gov
Contact for Humboldt Sheriff's Department:
Lt. Melanie Ciarabellini, Recorded Press Line: 707.268.3698
(Eureka, California) - - On 24 July 2002, the PA-28 140 aircraft with one aboard missing since the day before was spotted between Kneeland and Arcata, California. It was located a few miles from its last known radar position.
The pilot, a retired USAF major general, was reported as having flown from the Sacramento area to Kneeland to wait for weather to lift at Arcata for a landing at Arcata in the afternoon of 23 July. He was reported by the FAA to have taken off from Kneeland and had requested in instrument approach to Arcata. His last known radar position was on the approach to Arcata. There were no emergency signals from the missing aircraft.
The California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was tasked by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center to lead the search. Participating agencies were the Eureka Police Department, Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, United States Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the FAA. United States Air Force search assets from Oregon were available but not needed.
Yesterday (Wednesday), a Civil Air Patrol aircrew from Eureka Squadron 34 flew two sorties on the search in close coordination with a USCG helicopter and a CHP aircraft. FAA's Seattle Center provided essential support in helping the pilots with aircraft separation in the small search area as well as providing updates on the FAA's progress in analyzing recorded radar data to narrow the search area.
CAP pilot, Captain Mike Hislop, reported his aircrew member Captain Doug Szymanski used a handheld infrared video camera borrowed from the Eureka Police Department during their search.
Before dark yesterday, the USCG helicopter crew while flying at 100-200' above ground level spotted the missing aircraft, located in heavy brush among pine trees, burned, and with no survivor.