CALGARY- Family members have confirmed a Calgary man was the co-pilot on a small plane that went missing in Antarctica earlier this week.
25-year-old Mike Denton left before Christmas, and his family says he was due home in just days.
Denton, along with veteran pilot Bob Heath and another Canadian have not been heard from since the Twin Otter they were in vanished near the south pole Tuesday, Alberta time.
It's believed the plane, operated by Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air, went down it a mountain range between the South Pole and Terra Nova Bay.
The Twin Otter began transmitting signals from its emergency locator beacon early Wednesday. Aircraft tried twice to spot it in the mountainous area where it went down but failed due to heavy, low cloud.
Steve Rendle of New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre said skies were expected to clear in the area Saturday morning local time - Friday afternoon in Alberta - which could allow rescue teams to fly over where the plane is believed to have gone down.
If the weather clears, Rendle said they hope to establish a base of operations at a runway and fuel depot located at the Beardmore Glacier, about 50 kilometres from the presumed crash site.
From there, helicopters would be dispatched to search for the craft.
Rendle said the signal from the locator beacon is no longer being received.
"But that's to be expected as the battery life is limited," he explained, adding it's not a problem, as rescue teams have a fix on the beacon's coordinates.
Those who know the pilot of the downed craft say that if anyone would know how to get through, it would be Bob Heath.
"He's a bit of a living legend up (North)," said friend and fellow pilot Sebastien Seykora. "He's been flying down there for at least a decade. If somebody had a question about how to do things, especially about going down there, he would be the guy they would ask."
Denton was just married in Calgary in September. His family says they are getting a lot of support from all around the world, and say they are staying optimistic.
The Twin Otter was well-equipped with survival equipment, including mountain tents and supplies which could last five days.
With files from Jayme Doll, Global News and The Canadian Press.
© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2013.