CAP: Down Aircraft Spotted

Wreckage Of Missing Plane Found
Unknown If Anyone Survived Crash

POSTED: 11:31 am MST December 21, 2008
UPDATED: 1:50 pm MST December 21, 2008

DENVER -- A Civil Air Patrol aircraft spotted the wreckage of a small plane that went missing Saturday near the Colorado-New Mexico border.

The wreckage was spotted about 18 miles due south of Whiskey Pass shortly after noon, said Incident Cmdr. Lt. Col. Earl Sherwin.

It is not known how many people were on board or their condition.

An El Paso County Sheriff Search and Rescue team has been dispatched to the crash site.

Sherwin said the crash is at 11,800 feet and will be considerably difficult to get to.

Whiskey Pass is west of the town of Trinidad.

The Baron was headed to Santa Fe from Canada and was on a flight plan when it disappeared.

A Beechcraft Baron is a light twin-engine plane and can hold up to six people including the pilot.