Smoke renews hope in plane search

Family members flew to Alaska to help in search of twins.

Smoke spotted in a remote area renewed hope of finding a plane downed in Alaska with two former Flathead residents on board.

Patricia Sonstelie, sister of missing twin brothers Jim and Joe Murphy, said Friday that a column of smoke spotted behind a huge, white pillar of stone on top of a mountain in Southeast Alaska gave the family hope.

"Today they got a floatplane on to a lake near where the stone is," she said.

Sonstelie said the white pillar was similar to descriptions provided by several psychics contacted for clues to finding the plane, which vanished Sept. 20.

"All of them saw something white," she said. "As my husband said, it's a ray of hope."

Sonstelie, of Creston, was waiting for word from that flight on Friday afternoon. A search party was hiking into the area where the smoke was spotted.

According to Sonstelie, a large number of family members traveled to Sitka to help in the search. Even after the Coast Guard halted the official effort Wednesday, she said the family continues searching, assisted by many local citizens.

A church in Sitka provided a house for the family to stay in for free. Local restaurants refuse payment for meals for the family.

"My son could not give these people enough praise," Sonstelie said. "They've given their all to this search. So has the Coast Guard."

Both wives of the twins, Sonstelie's two sons, three sons of the brothers, several nephews and a granddaughter went to Alaska to help out.

"We're a large family and we're a close family," she said.

Sonstelie considered flying up to take part in the hunt for her brothers but decided to stay home and communicate news to relatives and between search areas in Alaska.

"I feel my place is here where I can coordinate," she said.

Harris Aircraft Services of Sitka, which owns the downed DeHavilland Beaver floatplane, continues to search the route, over water, dense forests and steep mountain slopes.

The Coast Guard called off its search on Wednesday after a massive search effort found no sign of the floatplane. Since no oil slick or wreckage was seen in the water, the family hopes the pilot put the plane down on land.

Sonstelie said the mountainous terrain is covered in dense forest. Fog often obscures many areas.

"A plane in the trees couldn't be seen from the air," she said.

The chartered, single-engine floatplane was flown by Eric Johnson of Sitka with the Murphy twins and two friends from California on board. No radio transmissions for help were received after the pilot took off at about 10 a.m. that Monday.

Because of frequent poor weather, light planes often must fly north of the mountainous Baranof Island. The alternate route requires flying 60 to 80 miles along Peril and Chatham straits.

Now residents of Washington state, the Murphy twins, 64, were born and raised in the Flathead Valley and return every year to visit. They graduated from Flathead County High School in 1958.

Both men recently retired.

Other sisters to the twins, Monica Wright and Pam Wingate, still live in the valley. They grew up in a family of 10 children with deep roots in the Flathead Valley.

Sonstelie said she has prepared herself for disappointment if the smoke doesn't lead searchers to her brothers or if they find a crash site without survivors.

"I want them to be found no matter what," she said. "I want closure."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.