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Wreckage of missing single-engine plane found in southern Alberta

DRUMHELLER — A pilot whose plane vanished after he took off from Edmonton’s City Centre Airport was found Tuesday among the wreckage of the craft.

DRUMHELLER — A pilot whose plane vanished after he took off from Edmonton’s City Centre Airport was found Tuesday among the wreckage of the craft.

The lone occupant of the single propeller Beechcraft Bonanza plane was found by search and rescue teams.

“The pilot was found without vital signs,” said Lt. Annie Morin, spokeswoman for CFB Trenton in Ontario. “But it’s up to the coroner to declare him dead.”

The plane was found in Castor, about 243 southeast of Edmonton. The pilot was supposed to have gone on just a quick flight Monday, and didn’t file a flight plane with a specific destination.

By 6 p.m., when the pilot hadn’t returned at his scheduled time, the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at CFB Trenton launched a search.

A Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg joined the effort and combed the Drumheller area, the plane’s last known position, overnight.

The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association of Alberta also joined the search.

Bill Dimmer, zone commander of search and rescue, said the missing pilot had been known for his ability to make good decisions in the air.

“It’s a pilot that has a lot of experience and a history of good judgment.”