Searchers locate wreckage believed to be missing plane

Searchers have located wreckage believed to be a single-engine plane that flew from Minnesota but failed to arrive on Orcas Island on Saturday.

Officials say they have not made a positive identification of the plane or the occupants. It was located east of Bellingham.

Transportation officials say the search has been turned over to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. The wreckage site was found using radar coordinates from the aircraft's last known location on Saturday.

The two occupants were on vacation and took off from International Falls, Minnesota, but never landed on the island. Family members reported them missing Tuesday night.

Officials did not have an exact time the plane was due to arrive on Saturday.

Washington transportation spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe says this is unrelated to the search for the Montana plane that disappeared Saturday near Mazama, Washington. Ground crews hoped to reach that wreckage Wednesday.

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