The ongoing search for a missing helicopter pilot who crashed into the Yukon River at Carmacks shortly after takeoff on Saturday remains unsuccessful.

Carmacks Cpl. Wayne Gork said today that 67-year-old Richard James Wood, of Merritt, B.C., is still missing and is presumed dead.

RCMP and search and rescue crews from the community, Whitehorse and Faro spent the weekend scouring the river for Wood and pieces of wreckage from the Bell 206 Jetranger owned by Trans North Helicopters of Whitehorse.

Search efforts were also assisted Sunday by another Trans North helicopter.

While additional personnel from Whitehorse and Faro returned home after 12 hours on the river Sunday, efforts by local RCMP and search and rescue crew members continued Monday.

Gork said the search of the river was suspended today because of overcast conditions which hamper visibility down into the water. It's also an opportunity to give officers a rest day, after an exhaustive three days' searching.

Plans are to continue the search effort Wednesday. The local detachment is also planning to secure the assistance of the RCMP plane to expand the search area later in the week, he said.

The Bell 206 crashed shortly after takeoff at 7:15 a.m.

Wood was described in a statement released on Monday by Trans North as a seasoned pilot with 24,000 hours' flying time.

Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada were also sent to Carmacks on Sunday.

Gork said some pieces of wreckage have been recovered and turned over to the safety board investigators, though significant portions of the chopper are still missing.

A section of a door was spotted from the air Monday evening near the Carmacks bridge, but attempts to retrieve it were unsuccessful before it slipped into a deeper channel of the river, Gork said.

The corporal said he understands the helicopter company is attempting to secure special equipment to assist in the search for wreckage.