UPDATE–Missing Plane Sought near Gorge Found, Crashed

Around 11 PM Tuesday night, Grant and Kittitas County Sheriff's Deputies and other officials were alerted about a possible missing aircraft, and a search began.

UPDATE---Kittitas County searchers found the plane, crashed--see update below story

  The plane is a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a four-seater

The Cessna 172 or Skyhawk, is the most-produced private single-engine plane in US history, a very reliable rugged aircraft. The Cessna pictured in our story is NOT the actual missing aircraft. 

Around 11 PM the GCSO said they and Kittitas Officials were notified the plane stopped transmitting transponder data near the Gorge at George in Grant County. The aircraft had taken off earlier from Yakima bound for Chelan.

Officials did not say exactly what time the plane last stopped transmitting, but a search began. A Marine unit and drones searched the land and water areas near the Gorge Amphitheater around 3:11 AM, a later report at 3:45 AM revealed no sign of the aircraft had been found.

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The GCSO says due to safety concerns the search was called off, and as of first light, responders have resumed looking for the missing aircraft. Officials said the pilot was the only one on board.

UPDATE---The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office reported this morning, the single-engine aircraft was found, having crashed near Whiskey Dick Mountain in Chelan County,  about 10 miles southwest of the Gorge at George, almost between there and Ellensburg. The female pilot was deceased, her family has been notified, The National Transportation Safety Bureau will handle the crash investigation.