C-182R Down In Bighorn Nat'l Forest

The crew of a Civil Air Patrol aircraft, dispatched to search for a teen missing in Wyoming's Bighorn National Forest, were lost when their Cessna 182R crashed in a remote area of the forest.

CAP officials tell ANN the three-person Wyoming Wing aircrew was participating in an AFRCC authorized search for a missing 16 year old, when the aircraft went down after 1600 MDT Monday.

"After the plane was reported two hours overdue, a second CAP aircraft was launched to search for the missing C-182 when a US Forest Service helicopter working in the area spotted the crash site in rough terrain," said Brigadier General Amy S. Courter, Acting National Commander.

FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer told The Associated Press the plane (similar to type shown below) was destroyed in the post-impact fire.

CAP has not released the names of the victims, and it is not yet known what might have brought the aircraft down.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6109N        Make/Model: C182      Description: 182, Skylane
  Date: 08/21/2007     Time: 0120

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SHELL   State: WY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD
  WERE FATALLY INJURED, MOUNTAINOUS REGION NEAR SHELL, WY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     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: CASPER, WY  (NM04)                    Entry date: 08/21/2007

FMI: www.cap.gov, www.faa.gov