Plane from Crescent City to Oakland goes missing

A plane en route to Oakland went missing after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit near Arcata Friday morning, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

The twin-engine Piper PA31 was headed from Crescent City to Oakland when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit at about 1 a.m., according to the FAA.

The pilot said he was going to return to Crescent City, but air traffic controllers lost contact with him about 5 miles northeast of Arcata, FAA officials said.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the aircraft and the three or four people believed to be on board.