Missing fire detection plane found in Arkansas

(UPDATED at 11:23 a.m. CST, February 13, 2014)

Funeral arrangements for Pilot Jake Harrell will be held Saturday, February 15th at the First Assembly of God Church in North Little Rock at 4501 Burrow Road. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will take place at the same location, Friday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

To honor the life of service and memory of Mr. Harrell, a Brayden Harrell Scholarship Fund has been established for Jake and Jaime’s son. This fund is open at all Simmons First National Bank and Metropolitan Bank locations. Individuals should reference the fund by name to contribute.

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(UPDATED at 2:34 p.m. CST, February 12, 2014)

The Arkansas Forestry Commission reported that the Civil Air Patrol fixed wing aircraft crew that discovered the missing  plane was part of the 95th Composite Squadron based in Texarkana. The sighting was confirmed by a State Police helicopter. A road, well over a mile long, is being built to the site.

Below is information released by the AFC:

“Recovery Mission Underway for AFC Pilot, Jake Harrell

Mena, Ark. – The plane carrying missing AFC pilot, Jake Harrell, was discovered yesterday at 4:05 p.m. by a Civil Air Patrol single-engine plane. This sighting was confirmed by a State Police helicopter. Moments later, a National Guard helicopter also confirmed the sighting and lowered a Guardsman. This Guardsman confirmed that deceased remains were inside the aircraft. We are 99% sure that this individual is our friend and brother, Jake Harrell – who has been missing since Friday, January 31st.

Ground crews were able to secure the scene late last night; however, a road is still under construction –crews are using dozers and chainsaws to clear the way – to create an actual path to the crash site. Officials are hopeful that this road will be complete and the body recovered by late this evening.

Montgomery County Law Enforcement, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement, and the Arkansas State Police have secured the scene and will work to complete an investigation as soon as a road is completed to the site. North Little Rock Police Honor Guard and Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC) Law Enforcement await the chance to escort Jake back home. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are in route to complete a full examination of the scene and aircraft, once the body has been removed. No other details about the site or flight will be available until both of these investigations are complete.

The plane’s location is 26 miles away from Jake’s last check-in point, which was just south of the Buck Knob tower near Oden. The terrain is extremely rugged and steep – and is three miles off of any main road. Information from local residents, carefully gridded map patterns from GIS experts with the AFC, U.S. Forest Service, and Geographic Information office, as well as the opinion of National Guard pilots led to emphasized search efforts over that Montgomery County area in the late afternoon, yesterday. The plane is located on land that is part of the Ouachita National Forest.

“We are in the process of carefully accessing this scene so that we can lay our brother to final rest. The mountainside is difficult to get into and we predict it may take all day to complete a road to that area. We will do whatever we’ve got to, to get it done,” says Montgomery County Sherriff, David White.

The Civil Air Patrol plane that located the missing aircraft is part of the Composite Squadron based in Texarkana. Three crew members were aboard the aircraft: Lt. Col. Loren Ainsworth., Maj. Ed Goodman, and Capt. Carol Collins. The entire search operation and Harrell family remain in gratitude for all aircraft involved with tirelessly searching the landscape throughout the 12-day search.

The search area had grown to a space encompassing some 2.6 million acres. The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) believes this to be one of the largest search efforts undertaken in the history of Arkansas.

Incident Command Headquarters in Mena continues to work amid the same partners that have worked in a Unified Command structure since January 31st. This search operation would not have been successful without the many responsible for completing the task. Though the final outcome is heartbreaking and disappointing, the plane was finally found and all agencies are anxious to return Jake to his family for final rest. The following partners have been vital to this search mission: statewide Arkansas Forestry Commission crews, U.S. Forest Service, Polk, Scott, and Montgomery County Law Enforcement, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, Arkansas Geographic Information office, local volunteer fire departments, the Red Cross, and the National Weather Service.”

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(UPDATED at 5:56 p.m. CST, February 11, 2014)

The Arkansas Forestry Commission has confirmed that Pilot Jake Harrell did not survive.

Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Harrell’s family, his wife and son, his coworkers, and the hundreds of people involved in the search over the last 12 days.

 

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(Originally published at 5:14 p.m. CST, February 11, 2014)

The fire detection plane with pilot Jake Harrell on board that has been missing in Arkansas since he last checked in at 1:11 p.m. CST on January 31, 2014 has been found. The following information was released at about 4:45 p.m. CST today, February 11, 2014:

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“Missing AFC Plane Located Outside of Glenwood at 4:05 p.m. CST

Mena, Ark. – A Civil Air Patrol plane has located – by sighting from the air – the plane of missing AFC Pilot, Jake Harrell, in an area outside of Glenwood. The site is in Montgomery County and was confirmed by a State Police helicopter. It is unconfirmed at this point if pilot, Jake Harrell, is alive; ground crews, including law enforcement officials, have been deployed to the site.

No other details are known at this time. Updates will be provided as soon as possible.

Jake Harrell has been missing since Friday, January 31st, when he failed to check in after communicating with AFC Central Dispatch in Malvern. He was last known flying in an area over Oden along a regularly scheduled wildfire detection route. Jake is 34 years old and has flown with the AFC since 2005 – alongside service with the Arkansas Air National Guard 188th Fighter Wing and employment with the North Little Rock Police Department.

The Incident Command structure in Mena continues as a Unified Command effort with the following partners involved: statewide Arkansas Forestry Commission crews, U.S. Forest Service, Polk, Scott, and Montgomery County Law Enforcement, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the Arkansas Geographic Information Office, local volunteer fire departments, the Red Cross, and the National Weather Service.”

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

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