A single-engine plane being flown by pilot Nicol Wilson was flying from Santa Barbara to the Mammoth Lakes Airport on the east side of the Sierra Nevada on Monday, December 17th, when it disappeared from radar near the North Dome area of the park. There were no passengers onboard. Wilson was reported missing by his family that evening after failing to arrive in Mammoth as planned. Search efforts were begun the next morning. Poor weather and lack of visibility hindered the air search; efforts to locate the plane via beacon receivers were unsuccessful.  Several aircraft were able to search the area during daylight hours on Wednesday and Thursday, but no sign of the plane was found. Efforts to locate it are being impeded by a foot of fresh snow at higher elevations, with a winter storm forecast for Friday that will bring heavy snow and strong winds to the search area. It covers about 600 square miles in a rugged section of the park that is inaccessible by vehicle at this time of the year. Approximately 60 people are assisting with the air search, including search and rescue teams from the park, the California Highway Patrol, and the Civil Air Patrol.

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