Hunt for aircraft missing in Mozambique

 

01 November 2012 - 06:14
By Sapa

The hunt was on Wednesday for a small aircraft that was last heard of over Mozambique's remote northwest, with fears growing about the fate of its occupants.

"The aircraft went missing on Sunday and a search and rescue operation was launched immediately," said Jonny Smith, spokesman for the Johannesburg-based Aeronautical Search and Rescue.

The craft -- a Beechcraft 58 -- had two people on board, and was travelling from Malawi en route to Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg. It was last heard of around Mozambique's vast province of Tete.

"The Mozambicans requested our help in the search and a joint operation has been set up in Beira," said Smith.

"At this stage it very difficult to predict what might have happened to it. Our search continues," he added.

According to Mozambique Civil Aviation Agency, the plane did not send out a distress signal. The agency earlier said the aircraft was last heard of on Tuesday.