Two dead in wreckage of missing plane found near Aeneas Valley

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Air Search and Rescue teams found the 1976 Piper Cub that went missing on Saturday. The plane was found in Aeneas Valley near Tonasket.

The pilot, Nicholas Grachanin, 61, and passenger Jim Merik were discovered deceased inside the plane.

The aircraft had departed from Penticton, British Columbia, heading to Grangeville, Idaho, on October 10. Communication was lost with Seattle Center air traffic control, prompting the pilot's daughter to report the plane missing to the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office.

WSDOT's Aviation Emergency Services initiated a search using the plane's last known radar locations and cell phone forensics. The search involved assistance from the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office air support unit, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.