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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Missing plane search called off | Missing plane search called off |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| A search-and-rescue operation for an aircraft that went missing on its way to Kent has been called off. | A search-and-rescue operation for an aircraft that went missing on its way to Kent has been called off. |
| The missing civilian two-seater plane set off from Cambridge on Wednesday morning on the 100-mile trip to Lydd Airport, near Romney Marsh. | The missing civilian two-seater plane set off from Cambridge on Wednesday morning on the 100-mile trip to Lydd Airport, near Romney Marsh. |
| The aircraft was last heard from near the mouth of the River Medway at Sheerness at about 1100 BST. | The aircraft was last heard from near the mouth of the River Medway at Sheerness at about 1100 BST. |
| A coastguard helicopter and an RAF Sea King helicopter from Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk, were scrambled. | A coastguard helicopter and an RAF Sea King helicopter from Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk, were scrambled. |
| The aircraft was said to be a VariEze, fixed wing, homebuilt aircraft. | The aircraft was said to be a VariEze, fixed wing, homebuilt aircraft. |
| The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) at RAF Kinloss said on Wednesday evening that the area had been searched and the operation had been called off. | The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) at RAF Kinloss said on Wednesday evening that the area had been searched and the operation had been called off. |
| There has been no distress message from the aircraft. So we are in a waiting game Dover Coastguard | There has been no distress message from the aircraft. So we are in a waiting game Dover Coastguard |
| Dover Coastguard said there had been no further sightings of the missing plane. | Dover Coastguard said there had been no further sightings of the missing plane. |
| A spokesman said: "What happens next is up to the ARCC. | A spokesman said: "What happens next is up to the ARCC. |
| "The aircraft may have come down in a small field somewhere." | |
| He also added it was possible the plane had landed at another airport and failed to register its landing, or travelled a further 20 miles across the Channel to France. | He also added it was possible the plane had landed at another airport and failed to register its landing, or travelled a further 20 miles across the Channel to France. |
| "Visibility has been excellent all day. No-one has said anything to suggest that anything might have come down. | "Visibility has been excellent all day. No-one has said anything to suggest that anything might have come down. |
| "There has been no distress message from the aircraft. So we are in a waiting game," he said. | "There has been no distress message from the aircraft. So we are in a waiting game," he said. |
| Air rescue teams had searched for signs of suspicious markings or any bonfires but there had been no signs of a crashed aircraft, he added. | Air rescue teams had searched for signs of suspicious markings or any bonfires but there had been no signs of a crashed aircraft, he added. |
| 'Aircraft overdue' | 'Aircraft overdue' |
| The search operation covered the Kent coast, the Isle of Grain and the Isle of Sheppey. | The search operation covered the Kent coast, the Isle of Grain and the Isle of Sheppey. |
| A "straight line" search was also carried out between Sheerness and Lydd Airport. | A "straight line" search was also carried out between Sheerness and Lydd Airport. |
| Earlier, coastguards said the light aircraft, which was bound from Cambridge to Lydd, was overdue. | Earlier, coastguards said the light aircraft, which was bound from Cambridge to Lydd, was overdue. |
| They said the plane was last heard from through its GPS navigational equipment at midday, just north of Sheppey. | They said the plane was last heard from through its GPS navigational equipment at midday, just north of Sheppey. |
| The ARCC at RAF Kinloss was co-ordinating the search and coastguards had assisted with their fixed winged aircraft from Manston. | The ARCC at RAF Kinloss was co-ordinating the search and coastguards had assisted with their fixed winged aircraft from Manston. |
| A spokesman at RAF Kinloss said: "No members of the public have reported anything unusual and nobody has reported family members missing." | A spokesman at RAF Kinloss said: "No members of the public have reported anything unusual and nobody has reported family members missing." |
| He added: "There could be an innocent explanation for this but at the moment we just don't know. We have run out of places to search." | He added: "There could be an innocent explanation for this but at the moment we just don't know. We have run out of places to search." |
| Rescuers said it was unclear whether one or two people were on board. | Rescuers said it was unclear whether one or two people were on board. |
| Kent and Essex police forces have also carried out a land search for the aircraft. | Kent and Essex police forces have also carried out a land search for the aircraft. |