Date:  Monday, October 19, 2009

Contact: Nisha Marvel, WSDOT Aviation Communications, 306-651-6310

OLYMPIA – Air search and rescue crews are based at the Olympia Airport again today (October 19) to search for missing Lake Roesiger pilot, Gordon Last, 51, and his Taylorcraft two-seat airplane. Last has been missing since Saturday, Oct. 10. 
 
Air search teams will be ready to fly today until dark, as the weather allows.  Limited air search missions were flown over the weekend due to the rainy weather. 

Searchers received tips from witnesses and a radar forensics team that suggest the missing pilot may have landed in Westport, walked into town and then departed to the northeast between 3 – 5 p.m. on Oct 10.

Search teams are focusing on the area between Shelton and Westport. The area is about 1,900 square miles covering Grays Harbor County, the southeast corner of Thurston County and a small piece of northwest Lewis County.

Last’s plane departed from Harvey Field Airport in Snohomish on Saturday afternoon. He was expected to return to Harvey Field later that afternoon. His girlfriend reported him as missing when he failed to return.

According to reports, the plane had no emergency locator beacon or transponder on board, and no flight plan was filed.

Anyone who may have information on this aircraft is encouraged to contact the search staff at missingaircraft@wsdot.wa.gov or 360-410-0461.

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