Search for lost plane

THE coast guard is searching for a small plane carrying four British businessmen that vanished off the coast of northeastern Brazil.

A major coastal search is under way for the plane, which disappeared minutes before it was due to land at Ilheus yesterday.

Staff at the city's airport said today that four aircraft were looking for the plane, which made its last call to air traffic controllers when it was 15 miles away from its destination.

The flight was operated by Aero Star, a small charter firm based in Salvador, in the north-eastern Brazilian province of Bahia, around 750 miles north of Rio de Janeiro.

The twin-engined Cessna 310 is one of nine planes in the company's fleet.

Set up in 1995, Aero Star offers scenic flights out of Salvador airport, as well as charter services around Brazil.

The company's website says its pilots have more than 10,000 hours of flying experience.

Ellen Duarte, business manager for Aero Star, said the plane disappeared just nine minutes before it was to land.

The weather was good, she added, and the two Brazilian pilots had not reported any problems with the aircraft

News Clip courtesy : The Sun

For more details : http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/article1123026.ece