SHINGLEHOUSE – Local firefighters and other emergency responders
searched for a reported downed aircraft for about three hours
Friday night in Ceres (Pa.) Township, but determined the call was a
false report.

Doug Estes, fire chief of the Shinglehouse Volunteer Fire
Department, said Friday night crews were called out shortly after 3
p.m. after two women from the community saw a very small,
low-flying plane with smoke coming from it.

Estes said that while firefighters and ambulance personnel
searched the area along Route 44 near REM’s Forest Products,
officials checked with regulatory agencies and found out there were
no aircraft missing or otherwise not accounted for.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency dispatch center in
Harrisburg checked with everyone in the area who could have been
flying an aircraft as a precaution.

The search team suspended operations at about 5:45 p.m., Estes
said. They covered about 25 square miles, he said, and were
assisted by Mercy Flight and Life Flight emergency helicopters, as
well as a state police helicopter from Montoursville.

In addition to the Shinglehouse fire department, the Bolivar
(N.Y.) and Portville (N.Y.) departments also assisted at the scene,
along with Medic 6 out of Coudersport and Medic 10 from Olean,
N.Y.

There was no further information Friday night.