Pubdate: Sat, 21 Oct 2006
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

PLANE OWNER SHOCKED TO HEAR OF PILOT'S DEATH

The owner of a Kamloops flight academy is struggling to understand her
connection to a dead pilot and a downed airplane carrying cocaine.

"I was shocked. It made my stomach turn. I do the best that I can to
run an honest business," Tammy Pitkeathly said Thursday.

"(The pilot) had rented the airplane from me three times in the last
six months. There had never been any trouble with the rental."

James Edgar Darwin, 39, of Vernon, rented the four-person Piper
Warrior Oct. 13 with the promise to return it Monday. He told
Pitkeathly he was flying around the Vernon area. This is not unusual
as pilots need to log hours to keep their licence valid.

Darwin left a message on the business's answering machine during the
weekend, saying bad weather would prevent him from returning the plane
Monday. He said he would have it back by 10 a.m. Tuesday. He never
made it.

Concerned, Pitkeathly put a call in to Nav Canada to check the pilot's
flight plan. Darwin hadn't filed one.

"To us that means he hadn't planned on returning the plane," she
said.

"We checked for the weather patterns he was talking about, but
everything was clear except for the Lower Mainland."

Then she heard a plane had crashed in the heavily forested area off
Bulleau Road near Vernon Tuesday night. RCMP said there was only one
occupant and that he died in the crash.

This was followed by a call from Vernon RCMP saying the plane was
hers, there were drugs on board and Darwin was the pilot.

RCMP Sgt. Terry Jackin confirmed Thursday that 109 kilograms of
cocaine were found on board. Investigators believe the aircraft
crashed when it ran out of fuel.

The South East District General Investigation unit, B.C. Coroners
Service, Vernon RCMP and Osoyoos Integrated Border Enforcement Team
are investigating the crash.

Pitkeathly said airplanes are expensive to rent, about $99 an hour
plus fuel. Traditionally cash is not paid up front as the fee is based
on how many hours the plane is in the air.

"This is a big expense for us," she said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake