Mar 17, 2000 - 02:47 PM

Plane With 10 Aboard Missing Near Border of Panama and Colombia

The Associated Press

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) - A small plane with 10 people aboard was missing on a flight near the Panama-Colombia border, authorities said Friday.

The spokesman for Panama's Civil Aeronautics Directorate, Victor de la Hoz, said the plane left an airport in Panama City Friday morning on a flight to Puerto Obaldia, about 180 miles away. He said the plane was four hours overdue.

He said searchers from his agency and from the civil defense agency were searching for the plane, which is owned by the Aero Perlas company.

Two crew members and eight passengers, including four children, were aboard, he said.

"The plane disappeared and we have not had contact with the pilot of the craft," he said.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGII7LK7Y5C.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), March 17, 2000

Answers

Hijacking Eyed in Panama Plane Case PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- A small plane that disappeared Friday from radar screens during a flight to an eastern port may have been hijacked with 10 people aboard, aviation officials said.

The twin-engine plane left a Panama City airport Friday morning on a flight to Puerto Obaldia, 180 miles to the east near the border with Colombia. The plane never arrived.

Civil aeronautics director Jaime Fabrega said ''there is a possibility that this wasn't an accident.''

''There were no reports of smoke, noise or radio transmissions,'' in the area where the plane disappeared from radar screens,'' he said.

The plane was about 80 miles from Puerto Obaldia when it disappeared. It had been flying at a low altitude.

Guerrillas from Colombia's largest rebel group -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- have been in the area near Puerto Obaldia. In November, Colombian guerrillas disguised as tourists stole two private helicopters nearby.

Two crew members and eight passengers, including four children, were aboard the Puerto Obaldia flight. Among the passengers were two Colombians. There was no information on the others' nationalities.

The search for the plane, owned by the Aero Perlas company, was called off at nightfall Friday and was to resume Saturday.

AP-NY-03-17-00 2056EST<

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 17, 2000.

Plane in Panama Still Missing PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- Authorities spent a second unsuccessful day Saturday searching for a small plane carrying 10 people they believed might have been hijacked during a flight to an area near the Colombian border.

Land, air and sea rescuers said they would resume the search for the twin-engine plane Sunday. The plane took off Friday from Panama City, headed for Puerto Obaldia, near the Panama-Colombia border and about 180 miles from the capital.

At least two police helicopters were to spend the night in the Caribbean area where air traffic controllers lost radar contact with the plane, authorities said.

Panama also asked Colombia for help in determining if the plane flew over the border.

Authorities hadn't ruled out a hijacking, since there were no reports of noise, smoke or radio transmissions to indicate the plane had crashed.

Among the passengers were two crew members and eight passengers, including four children. Two of the passengers were Colombian.

Civil aeronautics director Jaime Fabrega said the plane was about 80 miles from Puerto Obaldia when it disappeared from radar screens. It had been flying at a low altitude.

Guerrillas from Colombia's largest rebel group -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- have been in the area near Puerto Obaldia. In November, Colombian guerrillas disguised as tourists stole two private

hhttp://www.newsday.com/ap/topnews/ap279.htmelicopters nearby.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 18, 2000.