Prince William Composite Squadron

Virginia Wing, Civil Air Patrol

Mission in Fauquier County

 

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Mission in Fauquier County

December 10, 2007

At approximately 9:35 PM on 10 December 2007, a Beech 35 aircraft had been attempting an emergency landing at Warrenton-Fauquier Airport (W66) when Potomac Approach Control lost it on radar at 300’ AGL (above ground level) about 4 NM Northwest of the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.  The Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office and local fire companies responded to help in the search for the aircraft. 

 

Once it was confirmed that Potomac Approach Control was unable to contact the aircraft so they decided to request Civil Air Patrol assistance thru the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). 

 

The AFRCC dispatched elements of the Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol to provide air and ground search assistance.  Due to darkness and heavy fog conditions, CAP aircraft were grounded and unable to assist at that time however, ground search personnel from the Prince William Composite Squadron, the Leesburg Composite Squadron, and Headquarter, Group-3 responded.  The Sheriff’s Office was prepared to suspend operations until daylight but the CAP personnel received permission to conduct a search for any signal from the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT).  The CAP units found no ELT signal in a close search of the probable crash area.  As they were returning to the mission base, Sheriff’s deputies located the crash site.  The lone pilot did not survive the crash. 

 

CAP units were not needed further and returned home around 7 AM on December 11, 2007.  Participating CAP personnel were:

  • LtCol. Rick Ritchie, VAWG Emergency Services Director – CAP Incident Commander
  • Maj. Jim Covel, Commander, Prince William Composite Squadron (PWCS)
  • Capt. Scott Hutchinson, Group-3 Emergency Services Officer (former commander of PWCS)
  • Capt. Mike Conner, Group-3 Ground Search Operations Officer (former ES officer of PWCS)
  • Lt. Dale Rolfe, Prince William Composite Squadron.
  • Lt. Bob Miller, Leesburg Composite Squadron.

 

The Prince William Composite Squadron offers its condolences to the family of the lone pilot who was lost in the crash.

 

Send mail to princewilliamsquadron@gmail.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/19/09