Pubdate: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Maurice Bridge, Vancouver Sun VERNON PLANE CRASH VICTIM IDENTIFIED VERNON - RCMP have identified the pilot of a small plane who was killed when it crashed near Vernon Tuesday night with 109 kg of cocaine on board. James Edgar Darwin, 39, a Vernon resident, was alone in the plane at the time. City spokesman Gordon Molendyk, of the Vernon safe communities unit, said Thursday the single-engine aircraft apparently ran out of fuel and went down in a heavily forested, mountainous area 23 km southwest of the Okanagan city. Molendyk said the RCMP's Osoyoos integrated border enforcement team has been brought into the investigation to determine the origin and destination of the drugs. He said Darwin had rented the aircraft Oct. 13 from Flight Discovery flight school in Kelowna. Flight-school owner Tammy Pitkeathly said Darwin had rented aircraft from the school three times in the past six months. She said he held a recreational-pilot permit, which has more restrictions than a private pilot's licence. The permit limits the number of passengers the pilot can carry, and does not allow night flying. However, she said Darwin was an experienced pilot, with more than 1,800 hours logged in the air. "In March 2006, we took him for a checkout and we did 1.6 hours in the air with him to ensure he was able to handle the plane," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine