Calgarian on board downed plane in Antarctica
Posted Jan 25, 2013 8:09 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Calgarian is one of three people on board the downed Twin Otter Plane missing since Tuesday in Antarctica.
A source confirms to 660News 25-year-old Mike Denton is the co-pilot on the aircraft with two other Canadians, including experienced pilot Bob Heath.
The search for the missing plane on a flight from the South Pole to the Italian base in Terra Nova Bay is halted for now due to extreme weather.
The plane from Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air has been located by the New Zealand Rescue Centre but it has since stopped emitting a signal.
New Zealand and the U.S. have launched an immediate search and rescue mission, but low cloud cover, blowing snow and extreme winds have made it impossible for any crews to land on the crash site.
The crash site is in the middle of a snow storm between mountains, so planes will wait for visual contact with the aircraft before landing.
The source also tells 660News, as time ticks it’s now a matter of life and death and things aren’t looking good.
Another plane, in addition to the one aircraft and two helicopters currently being used, could be deployed as part of the mission as teams wait for weather conditions to clear.
Weather is forecast to clear Friday afternoon, Calgary time.
As well, every plane is equipped with a satellite phone and unless the plane is extremely damaged, the three on board should be able to call out; since no calls have been placed, our source says, it’s cause for concern that something is very wrong.
It’s believed the three men have food and supplies to survive for at least five days and rescue crews are operating under the expectation the men will be found alive.
