Plane wreck found on Pennock

Thanks to the search and rescue effort of several volunteers, the Civil Air Patrol and the U.S. Military, a helicopter located a crashed plane on the east side of Pennock Mountain.

Search parties and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, along with other entities, are trying to determine the best course of action in reaching the crash site, said Carbon County Sheriff Jerry Colson Tuesday morning.

Gordon Davis, 63, of Tehachapi, Calif., crashed his white Cessna 172 Sunday afternoon after departing the Bryce Canyon airport, according to the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.

Volunteers, the Civil Air Patrol, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and others began filtering in after law officials received a call at 5 p.m. Sunday reporting an emergency locating transmitter had been activated, which indicated a crash, according to the sheriff’s office.

More than 22 people assisted in the search effort, which went into Monday night.

Volunteers drove snow machines up the west side of Pennock Mountain for several hours.

A U.S. military helicopter and a Civil Air Patrol fixed-wing aircraft were scheduled to assist in Monday’s search, but were grounded because of severe weather conditions, Colson said.

“They didn’t even make it to Carbon County,” Colson said.

However, ground units were able to contact a private plane in the area. The pilot helped in the search Monday, Colson said.

The severe weather Monday night and rugged terrain put a hold on all search efforts until Tuesday morning.

Searchers and volunteers resumed the search early Tuesday on the east side of Pennock. The Civil Air Patrol aircraft and U.S. Military helicopter were approved for flight., Colson said.

The helicopter arrived on the scene at about 10 a.m., Colson said.

Colson reported the plane crash found at 11:30 a.m.

“They found it fast,” Colson said.

As of press time, the crash had not been physically reached by searchers.