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| Venezuela military joins search for Vittorio Missoni's aircraft | Venezuela military joins search for Vittorio Missoni's aircraft |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Venezuelan military aircraft, ships and scuba divers have joined the search for a plane carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four other people that went missing on a flight back from a Carribean holiday island on Friday. | Venezuelan military aircraft, ships and scuba divers have joined the search for a plane carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four other people that went missing on a flight back from a Carribean holiday island on Friday. |
| Missoni's family expressed hope that the passengers and crew were still alive, prompted by Italian media reports that he may have been kidnapped. But another pilot in the area said it was more likely that the small twin-engined aircraft was struck by lightning as it entered dense storm clouds. | Missoni's family expressed hope that the passengers and crew were still alive, prompted by Italian media reports that he may have been kidnapped. But another pilot in the area said it was more likely that the small twin-engined aircraft was struck by lightning as it entered dense storm clouds. |
| The British-made Britten Norman YV2615 Islander was carrying Missoni, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, two friends and two pilots from Los Roques, an exclusive holiday destination, back to Caracas where they were planning to take a connecting flight back to Italy. | |
| When the pilots failed to contact the Caracas control tower, an alert went out and a search has been under way since Saturday involving more than 385 people. | When the pilots failed to contact the Caracas control tower, an alert went out and a search has been under way since Saturday involving more than 385 people. |
| The armed forces and National Guard, have joined civilian volunteers in boats and aircraft. The Italian ambassador and Missoni's family members are reported to have participated in flights in the area where the plane was last seen on a radar screen. | The armed forces and National Guard, have joined civilian volunteers in boats and aircraft. The Italian ambassador and Missoni's family members are reported to have participated in flights in the area where the plane was last seen on a radar screen. |
| Stormy conditions, that have made the search difficult, may account for the loss of the aircraft. The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off just a minute after the Islander said he saw the plane disappear. "I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud," pilot Enrique Rada told the Italian daily La Stampa. "It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt." | Stormy conditions, that have made the search difficult, may account for the loss of the aircraft. The pilot of a Cessna 402 that took off just a minute after the Islander said he saw the plane disappear. "I saw them right in front of me as they were swallowed up by a huge cumulus cloud," pilot Enrique Rada told the Italian daily La Stampa. "It was a lightning bolt. It must have been a lightning bolt." |
| Rada told the newspaper he was contacted by the control tower advising him of the plane's disappearance shortly after he saw it enter the cloud. He said he tried and failed to make radio contact with the plane's pilot and copilot. | Rada told the newspaper he was contacted by the control tower advising him of the plane's disappearance shortly after he saw it enter the cloud. He said he tried and failed to make radio contact with the plane's pilot and copilot. |
| However, on Monday morning, Missoni's sister expressed hope that her brother, his wife and their friends – Guido Foresti and Elda Scalvenzi – were alive and pleaded to have them safely returned. | However, on Monday morning, Missoni's sister expressed hope that her brother, his wife and their friends – Guido Foresti and Elda Scalvenzi – were alive and pleaded to have them safely returned. |
| "We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive", tweeted Angela Missoni. "Please help us find them and bring them back home". | "We believe Vittorio, Maurizia, Elda and Guido are still alive", tweeted Angela Missoni. "Please help us find them and bring them back home". |
| The family, Italian authorities and media have speculated that the CEO of the fashion house may have been kidnapped. Last year, there were three cases of hijacks and attempted kidnappings involving plans in Venezuela, where the use of small commercial aircraft is common due to the geography, security concerns and the lack of a well-developed rail network. | The family, Italian authorities and media have speculated that the CEO of the fashion house may have been kidnapped. Last year, there were three cases of hijacks and attempted kidnappings involving plans in Venezuela, where the use of small commercial aircraft is common due to the geography, security concerns and the lack of a well-developed rail network. |
| Missoni is a wealthy, high-profile figure. His family own one of the best-known labels in the Italian fashion industry and are widely credited with lifting Milan to its current status as one of the capitals of the fashion world. As well as the trademark zigzagged apparel, they have expanded to include home accessories, cosmetics and boutique hotels, posting sales of $91m in 2011. | Missoni is a wealthy, high-profile figure. His family own one of the best-known labels in the Italian fashion industry and are widely credited with lifting Milan to its current status as one of the capitals of the fashion world. As well as the trademark zigzagged apparel, they have expanded to include home accessories, cosmetics and boutique hotels, posting sales of $91m in 2011. |
| But aviation experts said a hijack or kidnapping was highly unlikely. "The way this happened follows none of the standard modus operandi of plane kidnappings," said Enrique Marting Cuervo, a specialist in search and rescue operations. "You have radars covering all of the national territory as well as the Nato radar now based out of neighboring Curacao. The plane would have been detected by any one of those radars." | But aviation experts said a hijack or kidnapping was highly unlikely. "The way this happened follows none of the standard modus operandi of plane kidnappings," said Enrique Marting Cuervo, a specialist in search and rescue operations. "You have radars covering all of the national territory as well as the Nato radar now based out of neighboring Curacao. The plane would have been detected by any one of those radars." |
| An accident was more likely, he said. "I think the initial rescue team did everything they could with the resources available to them which at the time were one plane and one helicopter." But he said the information about the possible location was slow to arrive. Four years ago, a plane went down in a similar area but all the passengers and crew were plucked out of stormy seas. | An accident was more likely, he said. "I think the initial rescue team did everything they could with the resources available to them which at the time were one plane and one helicopter." But he said the information about the possible location was slow to arrive. Four years ago, a plane went down in a similar area but all the passengers and crew were plucked out of stormy seas. |
| Family and friends may have a long wait for answers. In another case five years ago, coincidentally on the same date of 4 January, a similar aircraft carrying Italians from the same island went down over the same waters. It was never found, but the authorities declared an accident several weeks later when the body of the copilot washed ashore. | Family and friends may have a long wait for answers. In another case five years ago, coincidentally on the same date of 4 January, a similar aircraft carrying Italians from the same island went down over the same waters. It was never found, but the authorities declared an accident several weeks later when the body of the copilot washed ashore. |