Gawd, I'm too paranoid!

Government Plane Missing Near the Bahamas

The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) - A two-seat State Department plane bound for a Florida air force base from islands near the Bahamas was missing late Monday, officials said.

The last contact with the plane was at 10:20 a.m. Monday, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. It departed from Turks and Caicos Islands southeast of the Bahamas and was destined for Patrick Air Force Base in Melbourne on Florida's east coast.

Coast Guard and Air Force planes were searching an area 50 miles southeast of Freeport, Bahamas late Monday, said Petty Officer Robert Suddarth, Coast Guard spokesman. Pilots that returned from searching this afternoon reported poor weather and visibility, he said.

Bergen said the aircraft is an Ayers AY-65, which is an agricultural or "crop-dusting type of aircraft," and owned by the State Department.

Only the pilot, a 20-year veteran of the State Department, was aboard the plane, Suddarth said. Suddarth and Bergen did not release the name of the pilot.

They also said they did not know of any connection to the recent terrorist hijackings.

AP-ES-10-01-01 2311EDT

This story can be found at : http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGAQ3FC4BSC.html

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001