Two searches converge Two Cass County Sheriff's deputies and Franz Achermann in a jonboat searched the ice covered waters of Cat Lake in Becker Township Tuesday. They were following up on a lead that came from search planes flying over the area searching for the missing pilot, Andrew Lindberg. The deputies were looking for the plane but were also seeking clues to the disappearance three months ago of Peter Achermann, Franz's father. As so many other search efforts have done, this effort on Tuesday also turned up no trace of either missing individual. Franz reported one tip from deer hunters was received in the past two weeks, but it was checked out and nothing found. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford) On Wednesday morning searchers found the body of a Farmington pilot missing since Friday.

The last communication from Andrew Lindberg came at 6:32 p.m. Friday when he sent a text message saying he was near Staples. The Todd County Sheriff's Office reported the GPS signal indicated he was within a 25-mile radius of the Wadena County tower when he sent that text message.

Searchers reported spotting possible plane wreckage Tuesday evening in a remote wooded area about 20 miles east of Mahnomen. A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter pilot directed searchers Wednesday morning.

He was identified at the scene by members of his family.

Family members said Lindberg was the only person aboard the yellow and black PA-28 Piper Cherokee that left the Airlake Airport near Lakeville about 5 p.m. Friday. He was planning to go to Hallock, in northwestern Minnesota, to go deer hunting with his father.

The ground search west of Staples involved both family friends and people who worked with Lindberg. One of the approximately 25 to 30 people said many of them were from Met Life offices in Minneapolis.

In the Staples area, the search was augmented Monday afternoon by searchers covering farm fields and wooded areas just west of Staples.

Volunteers, mostly family members and coworkers from Minneapolis, spent part of Monday afternoon walking swampy areas and wooded land in and around Section 28 of Thomastown Township, just south of County Road 2.

Another search group was reported covering an area further north along the Wing River.

Their search in that area was prompted by reports that a flare may have been seen over the weekend by deer hunters in that area.

On Monday, Maj. Al Pabon said the Minnesota Civil Air Patrol searched 2,000 square miles Sunday but found no sign of the missing plane. As darkness brought an end to Monday's search efforts, Pabon reported still no sign of the plane or the missing pilot.

Pabon says between eight to 10 aircraft had been expected to search again in the same area, stretching from Wadena to Hallock.

The Todd County Sheriff'' s Office was informed the plane was overdue at its destination at 10:49 p.m. Friday

Civil Air Patrol search efforts began about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There were 110 people and ten aircraft involved in the search on Sunday and ten aircraft and 79 people involved in the CAP search on Monday. there were five ground teams invoved in the search efforts on Monday. Two Cass County Sheriff's deputies and Franz Achermann in a jonboat searched the ice covered waters of Cat Lake in Becker Township Tuesday. They were following up on a lead that came from search planes flying over the area searching for the missing pilot, Andrew Lindberg. The deputies were looking for the plane but were also seeking clues to the disappearance three months ago of Peter Achermann, Franz's father. As so many other search efforts have done, this effort on Tuesday also turned up no trace of either missing individual. Franz reported one tip from deer hunters was received in the past two weeks, but it was checked out and nothing found. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford)