12 Local and State Partners Assisting in Search and Rescue Effort
RDU Airport, N.C. – Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority personnel continue to support ongoing search and rescue efforts in the vicinity of Umstead State Park. Twelve local and state partners are on the ground and in the air searching for a small private aircraft that was lost on radar earlier this evening. Additionally, the Authority is in touch with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
A State Highway Patrol helicopter is searching for a heat signature from the ground, a signal typical of an aircraft crash landing.
“Umstead State Park is 5,200 acres of dense forest, with few roads and little to no light,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “Recovery efforts are extremely challenging in remote areas and it could take a long time to find this plane.”
Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority was notified by FAA Air Traffic Control at approximately 7:25 p.m. Sunday of an offsite incident involving a small general aviation aircraft. RDU operations and firefighting units responded immediately, which closed the airport runway for a brief period of time. The airport resumed normal operations at approximately 7:45 p.m.
The following partners are assisting in the response:
- RDU airport personnel
- N.C. State Highway Patrol
- N.C. Park Rangers
- Raleigh Fire Department
- Raleigh Police Department
- Wake County EMS
- Wake County Sheriff’s Department
- Wake County Emergency Management
- Wake County Fire Services
- Durham Highway Fire Department
- Cary Fire Department
- Cary EMS
We ask that people avoid the area around Umstead State Park while search and rescue efforts are underway. We will provide more information when it is available. Follow us on Twitter at @RDUAirport and visit rdu.com for the most recent information.