A Piper Comanche similar to this one has been missing since a Tuesday night flight in southwestern B.C. A Piper Comanche similar to this one has been missing since a Tuesday night flight in southwestern B.C. (Adam Hunt)

A friend of the owner of a small B.C. plane that disappeared with four people aboard Tuesday night is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who finds the Piper Commanche aircraft.

Greg Fedune, who has put up the money, hopes the reward will encourage backcountry enthusiasts, ATV riders and dirt bikers to help in the ground search for the plane and its occupants.

The single-engine aircraft is owned by Rama Tello, who, along with his brother and two friends, was aboard the plane when it went missing.

All are residents of the Kelowna area.

They left the Penticton, B.C., airport around 5 p.m. Tuesday bound for Victoria but never even made it into the Vancouver-area air traffic control zone, prompting a search about four hours later.

Vancouver is on the flight path for trips between Penticton and Victoria.

Two Canadian Forces aircraft along with seven civilian aircraft are searching the area between Penticton and Chilliwack but have not seen any trace of a downed plane.

The aircraft is equipped with an emergency locator device, but searchers have yet to pick up a signal.