ROCK SPRINGS — A search for a missing pilot is currently underway as Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a missing person report Tuesday for a pilot whose private aircraft departed Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport near Rock Springs but failed to reach its scheduled destination in California.
Deputies received the missing person report at approximately 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The report prompted an intensive search and rescue effort throughout the afternoon and night.
According to the sheriff’s office, upon investigation and based on automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, authorities have focused their search and rescue efforts on an area near Pine and Little Mountain, southwest of Rock Springs.
Investigators have identified the pilot as a man in his 50s from Green River, and the aircraft as a Piper Comanche.
The sheriff’s office said its search and rescue team has deployed all available resources, coordinating efforts with local airport officials, private air assets, and the Wyoming Civil Air Patrol.
Low cloud cover hindered initial aerial search efforts, but rescuers redoubled their efforts to secure nighttime aerial search capabilities.
Due to the remote terrain and current conditions, ground operations have been suspended for the evening but remain on standby to respond as needed or should conditions change. Search teams will resume ground efforts at daybreak tomorrow.
“We urge everyone to refrain from conducting searches or drawing conclusions about the pilot’s or the aircraft’s status. Independent search efforts not only impede our progress but also risk the safety of everyone involved,” the sheriff’s office said. “We will continue to provide updates as they become available.”