Search for Missing Plane With 5 Aboard Continues Into Second Week

The search for five people aboard a missing Cessna bound for Fullerton ended for the day Monday without success.

Twelve single- and twin-engine Civil Air Patrol aircraft flew sorties from the Apple Valley Airport over an area about 20 miles north of Daggett, a small town 7 miles southeast of Barstow. The aircraft stopped flying about 5:30 p.m.

Two San Bernardino County sheriff’s helicopters aided in the search over the small town of Goffs, about 25 miles northwest of Needles.

The search is scheduled to continue today, said Lt. Helen Orchard from the Civil Air Patrol search base in Apple Valley.

Already searchers have canvassed thousands of square miles between Bullhead City, Ariz., where the twin-engine Cessna 336 Skymaster took off, and Fullerton, where the plane was expected to land Nov. 14.

The search will continue until the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol gets instructions from the U.S. Air Force to suspend its flights.

Pilots have flown over some of the same areas two or three times because “changing light patterns tend to hide things from us,” Lt. Col. Edward Crankshaw said.

The missing pilot has been identified as Richard Niemela, 37, of La Mirada. He was accompanied by Kathy Bird, 33, and her husband, Jeff Bird, 32, of Fullerton; Jeff’s brother, Bradley Bird, 33, of Placentia, and Natalie Erickson, 19, of Placentia, investigators said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Niemela did not file a flight plan before leaving Arizona. Flight officials believe that Niemela took off just as a major storm hit with snow, wind and sleet.