OKANOGAN COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two people from B.C. were killed after their plane was reported missing over the weekend.

WSDOT says that their crews were called to help locate the plane, which took off from Penticton on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The small plane was enroute to Idaho when it lost contact with air traffic control in Seattle.

Rescue crews from the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office assisted WSDOT in locating the plane near Tonasket on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 11.

The pilot – identified as Nicholas Grachanin – and his passenger Jim Merik were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, which has been handed over to the National Transportation Safety Board.