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No Sign Of Missing Navy Jet

Reported By: Duffie Dixon
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 1/11/2006 8:24:52 PM

The search is on for a missing Navy jet. The Navy Sabreliner T-39 with four passengers on board fell off of radar at around 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and hasn’t been heard from since.

A number of agencies are searching a large area of northwest Georgia in and around Gilmer County.

A makeshift command center has been set up in neighboring Murray County to coordinate the search for the jet. There are two search teams on all-terrain vehicles, but are hampered by only being able to search in daylight hours.

The Carter’s Lake area was searched during the say on Wednesday, though forest rangers say they do not believe the jet crashed there, because they say they would have seen or heard something, as they patrol that area heavily.

Several agencies are coordinating their searches and concentrating on large plots of land in that area.

“A large stretch of terrain and wilderness, with lakes and a lot of mountainsides. It’s very difficult,” said Capt. Mike Mabrey of the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.

Four-wheeled vehicles are being used, and if it comes to it, they’ll go in on foot to scour the land.

The jet was going to the Pensacola Naval Air Station when it disappeared.

www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=74469

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The funny thing is, I think I may have seen it (or at least one like it). I was at the law enforcement range in Fannin County yesterday around noon testing my latest build, and I saw a T-39 about 2 miles away, at what looked to be about 500 ft. agl. Didn't think much of it, because they are regularly flying low level through the mountains in Fannin/Union/Gilmer/Towns/Lumpkin/Murray.

The crash site and crew members were found today in Walker County.

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/12/national/main1203443.shtml