GRANITE FALLS — Rescuers recovered the bodies of a father and son Sunday morning. The two were killed in a plane crash in the mountain wilderness northeast of Granite Falls.
The pair, from the small community of Elk in eastern Washington, left from a private airstrip Friday evening and were heading toward the Arlington Fly-In.
When they didn’t arrive, a friend alerted authorities.
The wreckage was spotted from the sky Saturday but the site of the crash was too treacherous for rescuers to reach that day.
Snohomish County search and rescue volunteers with advanced mountaineering skills were flown into the site by helicopter Sunday, said Lt. Rob Palmer, of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane crashed part way down a steep ridge and rescuers had to use ropes to reach the wreckage.
Official identification of the victims probably won’t be made for about a week, he said.
The Elk Heights airstrip where the plane originated is owned by Matthew and Nanine Annis, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
Those records also show the couple owns a plane like the Piper PA 22 that crashed.
The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, with assistance from the FAA.
Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com.
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