Civil Air Patrol Traces ELT Signal

A pilot endured about 50 hours in his plane after an accident -- suspended from a tree -- before being located by rescuers Wednesday in Lafayette County, MS.

Pilot Dennis Steinbock, 52, of Klamath Falls, OR, is believed to have sustained lower extremity fractures and was suffering from dehydration, the Civil Air Patrol told the Associated Press.

CAP Mississippi Wing Public affairs officer 1st Lt. Phil Norris said Steinbock was enroute from Alabama to Missouri in a homebuilt CH601 Zodiac (type shown above) when he disappeared. CAP began an air search Tuesday, when the pilot did not arrive in Tupelo after making radio contact Monday.

An emergency locator transmitter signal was detected Wednesday prompting the CAP to launch a ground search and rescue team. Steinbock was located in what is described as a densely wooded gully about 15 miles south of Oxford. It took rescuers two hours to extricate the pilot from the tree.

He was then airlifted to Memphis Medical Center.

According to Norris, Steinbrock, a high school history teacher, was scheduled to make a fuel stop in Helena, AR on his trip from Alabama to Pont Lookout, MO.

Steinbock's son, Steven, said he was told by hospital officials his father's injuries were not critical.

"I would still like to talk to him," he said.  "At least we know he's going to be OK."

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 20370        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP ZODIAC
  Date: 06/18/2007     Time: 2240

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Serious     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: OXFORD   State: MS   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 4.5 MILES FROM OXFORD, MS

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: JACKSON, MS  (SO07)                   Entry date: 06/21/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov