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Coast Guard searches for crew of missing airplane
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Posted on Apr 03 2012
[B]APRA HARBOR, Guam[/B]—The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for three men aboard a Cessna airplane forced to ditch off the coast of Palau after running out of fuel on Sunday.
Coast Guard Sector Guam was notified by authorities in Palau Sunday night that communications were lost with the airplane as it was returning to Palau.
The Cessna pilot reported that the airplane was low on fuel and the crew experienced difficulties with their navigation equipment and were unable to pinpoint their exact location.
The last transmission received from the pilot reported they had run out of fuel and he was attempting a controlled descent.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Guam immediately diverted the Coast Guard cutter Jarvis, which has an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aboard. The cutter was approximately 86 miles away.
A Coast Guard HC-130 from Air Station Barbers Point launched at first light to conduct a search. Palau’s Pacific Patrol Boat H.I. Remeliik, numerous Palau Ranger vessels, and several good Samaritan vessels joined the search.
More than 6,500 square miles of ocean have been searched for the missing crew, an area larger than the entire state of Connecticut.
Search and rescue crews will continue to search until sunset and resume at first light Wednesday. [B][I](USCG)[/I][/B]
