UPDATE: 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 10, 2023
On Monday, April 10, our Air Search and Rescue crews successfully identified a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane piloted by Rod Collen in the wooded forests near Queets. The pilot was discovered deceased inside the aircraft, likely dying upon impact. He had been missing for 36 days. The Collen family has been notified and briefed of today's events. More information about today's findings are available online.
This concludes WSDOT's involvement in the mission. Further questions about recovery efforts should be directed to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office. Media questions about the investigation into why the plane went down can be directed to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is responsible for investigating the cause of plane crashes, which could take 12-18 months to complete and publish. We know this is a tragic outcome for the family and community, and our thoughts are with them during this time. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported the family throughout this search.
UPDATE: 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2023
On Monday, March 20, WSDOT Air Search and Rescue crews called off the search for a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane. The plane was piloted by Rod Collen on Monday, March 6, who departed from the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35 p.m., fell off radar abruptly a few minutes later and has not been seen or heard from since. WSDOT Air Search and Rescue crews have searched for 13 days and found no traces of the aircraft or pilot during this time. This is not the outcome searchers and the many partners had hoped for and our thoughts are with both the family and everyone who worked to try and locate the aircraft. The family has been kept informed of search activities and has been briefed about this decision. A detailed announcement was made about this decision.
Barring new leads or developments, no additional aerial searches are planned. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday, March 6, or spotted anything in the area, should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details. The plane's tail number is N24289. A detailed series of events, including photos of the mission and daily updates, were provided on this blog.
UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, 2023
No aircraft or pilot were spotted during the aerial search today. Significant rains, clouds and winds are forecasted in the targeted search area tomorrow and will prevent WSDOT Air Search and Rescue crews from safely flying Sunday, March 19. Crews will re-evaluate approaches to the mission and provide an update Monday morning, March 20, on this blog. Recently released aerial search flight paths show extensive effort in the targeted search area by crews to locate the missing plane.
UPDATE: 9 a.m. Saturday, March 18, 2023
Our Air Search and Rescue crews continue aerial searches today near Queets with two aircraft. Recently released aerial search flight paths show extensive effort in the targeted search area by crews to locate the missing plane.
The next update with be provided at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 18 on this blog.
UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2023
No aircraft or pilot were spotted during the aerial search today. Air search and rescue crews plan to return Saturday, March 18 to the search area. Recently released aerial search flight paths show extensive effort in the targeted search area by crews to locate the missing plane.
The next update with be provided at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 18 on this blog.
UPDATE: 9 a.m. Friday, March 17, 2023
Improved weather will allow for two aircraft led by our Air Search and Rescue crews to search for the missing plane and pilot today near Queets. Recently released aerial search flight paths show extensive effort in the targeted search area by crews to locate the missing plane.
The next update with be provided at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16 on this blog.
UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, 2023
Our Air Search and Rescue crews continued aerial searches today near Queets. No aircraft or pilot were spotted during the search. Air search and rescue crews plan to return Friday, March 17 with two aircraft.
The next update with be provided at 9 a.m. Friday, March 17 on this blog.
UPDATE: 9 a.m. Thursday, March 16, 2023
Our Air Search and Rescue crews continue aerial searches today near Queets with two aircraft. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday, March 6, or who has spotted anything in the area should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with information. The plane's tail number is N24289.
The next update with be provided at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16 on this blog.
UPDATE: 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Our Air Search and Rescue crews continued aerial searches today near Queets. No aircraft or pilot were spotted during the search. Air search and rescue crews plan to return Thursday, March 16 with two aircraft. There are no nearby structures or open fields making the forested terrain challenging for even experienced search crews. It is also swampy in parts and having ground searchers cover the entire area is not logistically practical. The search is ongoing at this time.
The next update with be provided at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 16 on this blog.
UPDATE: 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Improved weather conditions will allow for search and rescue crews to conduct air searches today. Images from Tuesday's aerial search mission are available on our Flickr account. No ground searches are happening at this time until we can identify more specific areas. The search remains ongoing. Updates from Wednesday's aerial search efforts will be posted to this blog at 5 p.m.
UPDATE: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Our Air Search and Rescue crews along with Washington Air Search and Rescue, a non-profit volunteer flight group, flew two aircraft over the 36-mile search area for several hours today thanks to improved weather conditions. No aircraft or pilot were spotted during the searches. Additionally, Quinault Tribal Nation emergency management crews flew a drone over the search area, but also found nothing of significance. Our Air Search and Rescue crews will again conduct aerial searches over the densely wooded forests near Queets on Wednesday, March 15, barring any changes to weather that would preclude safe flying operations. Some snow melt has occurred, which is positive news for air search crews as snow has been obscuring much of the search area.
We will provide an update at 10 a.m. March 15 on the blog.
UPDATE: 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Improved weather conditions late Monday afternoon permitted search and rescue crews to conduct air searches via a state DNR helicopter. Crews searched the area for several hours near Queets and found nothing of significance. Additionally, Quinault Tribal Nation emergency management crews flew a UAS drone over the search area Monday afternoon and could not find anything of interest. No ground searches are happening at this time until we can identify more specific areas. The terrain remains challenging to navigate as it is densely wooded and covered in snow in some locations.
Improved weather conditions Tuesday, March 14 will allow for two aircraft to search the area today in addition to the Quinault Tribal Nation’s drone operation. The search remains ongoing at this time. Updates from Tuesday’s air search and rescue efforts will be posted to this blog at 5 p.m.
UPDATE: 10 a.m. Monday, March 13, 2023
Strong winds, rain, reduced visibility and low clouds continue to affect search and rescue flying conditions today. If weather conditions improve, crews will be standing by to attempt air search efforts later today. If that happens, we will update this blog with that information. We continue to work with the Quinault Nation Emergency Management Team about potential ground search efforts in the 36-square-mile search area near Queets. We are also engaged with several property owners the search area covers, including Olympic National Park, the state Department of Natural Resources, local jurisdictions and tribal partners. Barring new search flights, the next update will be available at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 14 on our blog.
UPDATE: 10 a.m. Sunday, March 12, 2023
We continue to search for the missing plane. Weather is preventing air search and rescue efforts from happening Sunday. Crews will evaluate air search efforts again Monday. Washington State's Search and Rescue Planning Team continue to investigate last known primary radar returns of the plane.
Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday, March 6 or spotted anything in the area should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details.
The next update with be provided at 10 a.m. Monday, March 13.
By Tina Werner
We are searching for a missing plane in rugged forest land near Queets that abruptly dropped off radar Monday evening.
Our Air Search and Rescue was notified of a missing 2006 Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane piloted by Rod Collen on Monday evening. Search efforts began that night and has included air searches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday when the weather permitted safe flying conditions. Law enforcement and others have been patrolling roadways in the last known position area as well.
Collen left the Tacoma Narrows Airport at 5:35 p.m. on Monday; and a few minutes into the flight the plane's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system was either turned off or malfunctioned and the plane was no longer visible on normal tracking systems the air traffic controllers use. With the help of a specialized radar forensics team, primary radar returns were located that placed the aircraft near the coast between Lake Quinault and Queets. The final radar plots show the aircraft made a very rapid descent to the ground. Collen was the only one in the plane.
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| A search is ongoing for a plane similar to this near Queets. |
No signal has been detected from the plane's Emergency Locator Transmitter since it went off radar, but search officials have narrowed the search area to a 36-square-mile section of forest land with rugged terrain and some logging activity. The amount of snow on the ground has hampered searchers' ability to spot the plane from the air. Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Deputies and Quinault Natural Resources crews have patrolled roads near the areas but the section is too large and rugged to send in ground search crews until the search can be narrowed to a more specific site.
The area where the plane descended is on Quinault tribal land near Queets near the Jefferson and Grays Harbor county line. The area is on the Olympia Peninsula along Washington's coast.
The search remains active, but crews are waiting for new developments or a weather change before flying search aircraft again. Anyone who thinks they saw or heard the plane Monday or spotted anything in the area should call the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-258-5990 with details. The plane's tail number is N24289. At this time search officials do not need volunteers to conduct either air or land searches as that may overlap or hamper already searched areas or new missions.
The search has been conducted with an aircraft from WSDOT as well as Coast Guard crews out of Port Angeles. We are also is coordinating with the Quinault tribe, Jefferson and Pierce county sheriff's offices, the Tacoma Police Department and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
Updates on the search will be posted on this blog post. Email updates from WSDOT are also available online by signing up and selecting the Emergency news “air search and rescue” option. Barring new developments – which would be announced on this blog – the next update is planned for 10 a.m. Sunday, March 12.
WSDOT, by statute (RCW 47.68.380) is charged with the coordination and management of aerial search and rescue within the state. The agency works in conjunction with volunteer search and rescue groups, law enforcement and other agencies, such as the U.S. Navy, in carrying out such searches.
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