The body of Andrew Lindberg has been found in the wreckage of the aircraft he was piloting from Lakeville to Hallock, Minnesota last Friday. The Piper Cherokee didn't arrive at its destination as planned and a search had been ongoing since Saturday for the aircraft. Members of Lindberg's family accompanied authorities to the crash site this morning and identified the body.
The wreckage was sighted by a private pilot yesterday along the route that the aircraft would have flown from Lakeville to Hallock, Minnesota. The tail fin of an aircraft was seen in a wooded area midway between Detroit Lakes and Thief River Falls, and about 20 miles east of Mahnomen.
Searchers on Tuesday scoured a widening area of more than 4,000 square miles in northwestern Minnesota as they continued searching for 31-year-old Andrew Lindberg and his Piper Cherokee aircraft. The plane and pilot had been missing since Friday evening with the last contact between Lindberg and his new bride of just a few weeks being a text message at 7:30 p.m. advising her that he was over Staples and apparently all was well. That was the last time that he was heard from.
The Civil Air Patrol coordinated search efforts mostly close to Staples, but the search area expanded from Wadena to Hallock with the thought being that perhaps he traveled farther than was originally thought. Lindberg just earned his license to fly this fall and was inexperienced to be sure in bad weather. There was rain in the Twin Cities on Friday but according to Lindberg's family he waited to depart until he felt certain that the bad weather had passed through the area.
The single engine propeller-driven Piper Cherokee aircraft sports a low wing and can seat up to four people. The flight departed Lakeville airport at 5 p.m. on Friday afternoon and was expected in Hallock, 400 miles to the northwest, about four hours later. Night flying would also be challenging to a new pilot. Lindberg was expected to join his father and a friend for a hunting weekend.
Comments
I hope they find the aircraft. What's the chances of surviving up there? Overnight temperatures are probably cold.
Sad!
Scary. I'm not much on solo travel, but I don't know that someone with him would help.
These are always so tough to read or hear but I hope they find the aircraft and I'm praying for whoever's on board.
Andrew is my ex-fiance, but still a very, very close friend of mine and my families. If anyone can survive this, its Andrew. He is a very experienced and resourceful outdoorsman. Hoping and praying for his safe return, praying for his family-who are extremely close, his new wife, his amazing friends and the Civil Air Patrol, please bring him home today.
I hope this has a happy ending.
to Lucky 7....we're all with you. I'm a non-current private pilot and know the Cherokee well. It glides beautifully so hopefully he was able to put it down somewhere softly and just needs help.
Lets keep him in our prayers, I mentioned him at mass today asking GOD's help for a quick and safe recovery.
Marc, thank you so much for the encouraging words. Leads today claim that faint yelling could be heard. They are attempting to get a night vision camera in as there is only about an hour of light left. God help him . . . each day that passes gets more and more pressing. My mother joined the search today, all I can do from FL is hope and pray and pray and pray.
Marc, thank you so much for the encouraging words. Leads today claim that faint yelling could be heard. They are attempting to get a night vision camera in as there is only about an hour of light left. God help him . . . each day that passes gets more and more pressing. My mother joined the search today, all I can do from FL is hope and pray and pray and pray.
God holds you in his hands Andrew. Our thoughts are with Kate and Andrew's father, mother, family and friends. We will never forget the young, brilliant advisor and friend he was to us. We love you Andrew.
Very sad......I'm praying for his family and friends now. Sad indeed.
I am an experienced pilot. I would not have taken off last Friday, in an old Cherokee, to fly at night in bad weather. If it is true that he just got his license, his instructor never gave him the "this is a license to learn" speach my instructor gave me way back in 1980. Bad weather at night is no place for a new pilot.
terrible news - very sorry for his family.
my thoughts and prayers to the family of Andrew.
Oh, I am so sad to hear this news. I had hoped that he would be found alive. Thanks for continuing to cover this, sad news.
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