SPY PLANES CONTINUE SEARCH FOR MISSING JET.

Byline: Associated Press

Three U-2 spy planes were back in the air Saturday searching Colorado's snow-covered mountains for a missing Air Force pilot and his warplane.

The surveillance planes were taking pictures of a 476-square-mile area near three mountains about 20 miles southwest of Vail in central Colorado. Two of the planes have sensitive radar that can see through the snow.

``That's actually providing us with our data to focus the search,'' Air Force Lt. Col. Robin Chandler said.

``What we're looking for is some sort of signal, something that will tell us the plane is there, such as broken trees or scarring or burning.''

Joining the search were Colorado National Guard helicopters, which flew 16 sorties, and Civil Air Patrol planes, which also made 16 flights over the search area, Chandler said. There was also a military turboprop in the search.

Lt. Col. Bill Payne of the Civil Air Patrol said searchers were looking mostly for an engine. ``They hold up pretty well under a crash,'' he said.

The search was expanded Saturday ``because of data imagery,'' Chandler said. It was suspended at nightfall and was to resume today with good weather in the forecast.

The A-10 Thunderbolt carrying four 500-pound bombs was reported missing April 2 when Capt. Craig Button broke away from a three-plane formation during a flight exercise over Arizona.

The plane, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., disappeared from radar in Colorado. Visual sightings and radar data indicate Button was in control of the aircraft the whole time.

Air Force officials have previously suggested that Button could have become incapacitated and put the plane on autopilot.

They have said they have no idea what may have caused Button, a highly regarded pilot, to fly off course. His mother and father said their son was in good spirits during a recent visit.