Man and dog aboard small plane missing in northern Alberta

Editor's note: On Aug. 16.,Scott Schneiderwas founddead in a plane wreck south ofOldman Lake, Alta., about 100 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

• Pilot missing since Sunday found dead in plane wreck in northwest Alberta

Crews continue to search an expanse of land north and west of Edmonton for a small plane that disappeared without a trace during a flight across northern Alberta.

The Cessna 172was reported missing after the pilot failed to show up for work on Monday,the Royal Canadian Air Force said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. The pilot has been identified by friends and family asScott Schneider.

"We're just pleading and praying for someone to find him so we can hopefully see him again," saidSchneider's sister, Stephanie Bruntz.

Only Schneider, 40,and his dog were aboard theplane when it disappeared on Sunday evening.

Bruntz said she had been texting with her brother on Sunday afternoon but did not discuss his travel plans.

"It wasn't until Monday evening that we were notified that he had not shown up for work that day, which I can guarantee that's the first time that's ever happened in his entire life," she said.

The single-engine planewas scheduled to fly from Jasper toWestlockbut stopped inEdsonalong the way, said Capt. DaveBowes with theJoint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC)in Victoria.

At 5:20 p.m. Sunday, the aircraft departedEdson, its last known flight position.

It was due to land inWestlockat 7 p.m. but did not arrive and therehas been no contact with the pilot,RCMPCpl. Chris Warren toldCBCNews.

Residents and motorists between Edson and Westlockwho may have seen a small plane in flight between 4:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Sunday are encouraged to contact police.

Bart Bikker, who knew the missing pilot, thinks smoky conditions may have played a part in Schneider's disappearance.

"With all the smoke and everything the visibility was maybe not the best," said Bikker. "And he flew quite a bit but he's only had his licence for a couple of years."

The air forcebegan searching along the likely route on Monday afternoon, dispatching military and volunteer aircraft and notifyingWestlockRCMPthat a single-engine planeand itspilot wereoverdue in the area.

The ongoingsearch is beingco-ordinatedbyJRCCTrenton.

ACC-130 Hercules military aircraftfrom Winnipegand a BellCH-146Griffon helicopter fromCFBCold Lake were involved in the search.

Volunteer crews with theCivilAir Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) in Edmonton are also involved.

"I can tell you, it's a very small search area, relative to most of the searches we do," Bowes said.

The plane was equipped with an emergency beacon butsearch and rescue officials say there is no indication the device was activated.

'A full-blown search'

Bill Dimmer, the provincial training officer forCASARAin Alberta, said his crews are working with the military, using spotters to scour the terrainfor any sign of the missing aircraft.

Six civilian aircraft are on standbyin the search, he said.

"There is a full-blown search in the area he might have been in," Dimmer said.

"We may be looking for an airplane, we may be looking for some signalsfrom the ground, we may be looking forany number of marks on trees or marks on the ground."

Other private pilots should avoid flying in the area because they could interfere in the search effort, Dimmer said.

"When we're searching, we're very busy looking at the ground. And we have very specific patterns and navigation things that we must observe, so anyone else that's in the area can only cause havoc."

Small planesused to disappear without a trace fairlyregularlybefore the advent of GPS trackers and beacons, Dimmer said.

"It's happening less and less ... people don't get lost and people don't get confused about what they're doing anymore."

RCMP have asked landowners and farmersin theEvansburg,Mayerthorpe,BarrheadandWestlockareas to check their land for any sign of the missing plane.

The privately operated plane iswhite with black and red stripes, police said.

Westlockis about 90 kilometres north of Edmonton.