MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — There are new developments out of the south metro, where crews have been searching since last night for a missing plane. Three people were aboard when it took off from a South St. Paul airport Sunday afternoon.
Search teams believe the plane is located in a water-filled quarry on Grey Cloud Island, south of Mooers Lake and north of the Mississippi River. They have determined this through sonar imaging.
Dakota County and Washington County personnel were involved in the search, with the latter entity taking the lead in the investigation.
The challenge, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, is that the water in the quarry is up to 200 feet deep. In general, quarries can have steep drop-offs, debris, industrial waste, and other complicating factors.
They have recovered some plane debris.
The plane was due to land at Fleming Field, a city-owned airport that handles mainly single-engine aircraft. Officials say it departed from nearby South St. Paul Municipal Airport earlier in the day. Communication with the pilot was lost.
Just before noon on Monday, crews said that they were in recovery mode.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has not been contacted by first responders.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Source: CBS Minnesota