Seven bodies found near US plane wreck - search continues (1st Lead)

Oct 9, 2007, 16:29 GMT

San Francisco - Rescue workers have discovered seven bodies at the wreck of a plane that disappeared over the weekend, and were searching Tuesday for three more people who were aboard the doomed aircraft.

The single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan had been carrying 10 people when it went down late Sunday. It was found to the south of Mount Rainier in the north-western state of Washington.

The aircraft was on a flight from a skydiving competition in Boise, Idaho to Shelton, Washington when it disappeared from radar screens just 30 minutes after taking off in good weather Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported that there were nine skydivers and one pilot on board.

A hunter camping in the area reported seeing a low-flying plane and a possible crash, said Nisha Marvel, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Transportation.

Two aircraft, two helicopters and 50 volunteers, searched for the missing plane.

Rescuers found the plane by following the scent of fuel to the crash site Monday night, and the wreck's serial number to that of the missing plane. The names of those aboard were not released.

The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to begin an investigation Tuesday.