加拿大一轻型机在飞越南极山巅时失踪 搜救困难大

　　新西兰搜救协调中心24日证实，一架载着三名加拿大人的双水獭(Twin Otter)轻型飞机23日晚在飞越南极一座山巅时失踪。

　　目前该地区天气状况不好，云层较厚，风力较大，给搜救工作带来不便。等天气好转后，由新西兰和美国南极科考队员组成的联合搜救队将乘直升机前往该地区搜救。

　　这架属于加拿大坎伯拉航空公司(Kenn Borek Air Ltd.)的小型飞机，当时打算从南极点附近的一个研究站飞往特拉诺瓦湾的义大利南极基地。可是，23日上午10时左右，纽西兰搜救协调中心收到从一个山巅区发出的飞机失事紧急信号。纽西兰、美国、义大利当局迅速行动，设法找到估计已坠落雪山中的那架双水獭飞机。

　　一架美国大力神C-130飞机已于23日晚前往失事区域搜寻，但没有发现失踪飞机。后来还安排第2架飞机24日上午从南极麦克默多站出发前往该地区搜寻，可是因为云层太厚，未能看清地面是否有飞机。他继续说，天气很糟糕，不仅云层厚，风速也高达时速104英里，可能还将下大雪。

　　搜救当局已准备好数架固定翼飞机和直升机，等到天气稍有好转，即前往该地区继续搜寻。

　　总部设在亚伯达省卡加利的加拿大坎伯拉航空公司，专营美国南极洲科学考察队包机业务。

　　Bob Heath worked as a pilot for Kenn Borek and worked for the Americans, Italians and tourist operations at Patriot Hills.

　　"Authorities know almost exactly where the Twin Otter is located in the Queen Alexandra mountain range weather kept rescuers at bay on Wednesday. It''s a pretty inaccessible spot." In the image, an ALE Kenn Borek Air Twin Otter flying over a cloud covered Mount Vinson.

　　(Newdesk) In a press release Kenn Borek announced that during the early morning hours of January 23, 2013, a Twin Otter operated by Kenn Borek Air Ltd., "was categorized as an overdue aircraft. The aircraft was repositioning from the South Pole Station to Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica, carrying three Canadian crew members. At present time, search and rescue efforts are being hampered by weather conditions."

　　"All Kenn Borek Air Ltd. assets in the area and other assets available to the New Zealand Search and Rescue are actively supporting and participating in this effort."

　　No names have been officially released but according to news media the pilot was Bob Heath from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada.

　　According to www.canmoreleader.com his wife, Lucy, yesterday said, "Kenn Borek just phoned me to say Bob''s plane was down, and they were trying to reach it."

　　The news source added, "Wednesday was especially frustrating for friends and family of the three missing Canadians, who lost contact late Tuesday night while flying from the South Pole to Terra Nova Bay. That''s because authorities know almost exactly where the Twin Otter is located in the Queen Alexandra mountain range, after a beacon was triggered following the apparent crash."

　　"But knowing where the plane is and reaching the crash site are two different things in a hostile environment like Antarctica, and weather kept rescuers at bay on Wednesday. It''s a pretty inaccessible spot. It''s on a plateau about 13,000 feet high," Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand spokesman Steve Rendle told QMI Agency."

　　New Zealand is leading attempts to reach the 19-seat plane, because it''s in the part of Antarctica closest to that country. A United States C-130 Hercules plane has already flown over the suspected crash site but couldn''t see anything, and thick cloud has since prevented aircraft from spotting the Otter, says reports.

　　"Weather conditions are extremely challenging," Search and Rescue mission co-ordinator John Ashby told reporters in New Zealand. "There are winds of 90 knots at the site and conditions are forecast to worsen with snow becoming heavier."

　　The Kenn Borek Twin Otters, 14 of which are reportedly ferrying researchers and equipment around the South Pole this summer, are equipped with extreme weather survival gear.

　　Bob Heath was an experience pilot and was reportedly quoted in Australian media last year, talking about his work, saying he has done nine or 10 trips to Antarctica as a pilot for Kenn Borek and worked for the Americans, Italians and tourist operations at Patriot Hills. Patriot Hills is well known with the South Pole skiers and Antarctic mountaineers as ALE/ANI''s previous base camp from where they traveled in Kenn Borek Air Twin Otters and the Bassler/DC-3. Kenn Borek''s Otters and Bassler also operate from the current base camp, Union Glacier.