Lakeville pilot missing in NE Minnesota
A Lakeville man and his airplane are missing in northeastern Minnesota, according to reports.
Crews were searching for Michael Bratlie of Lakeville outside of Duluth on Sunday, June 10. The Civil Air Patrol said the twin-engine small plane with just Bratlie on board was reported to be on a flight from Fleming Field in South St. Paul to the Duluth airport and back to St. Paul on Friday, according to the Pioneer Press.
The search began Saturday, with people covering territory between Duluth and St. Paul, Civil Air Patrol spokesman Jerry Rosendahl told the Pioneer Press. Bratlie apparently did not file a flight plan or speak with air traffic control.
Using cell phone tracking information and airplane coordinates, the Patrol was able to narrow down the search area to the region north of Duluth, Rosendahl said. The search team consisted of eight planes and four groups on the ground, covering an area from Silver Bay to the border with Ontario, and from Lake Superior inland about seven miles, Rosendahl told the Pioneer Press.
