The joint search party consisting of Police and RFMF officers will continue their search for the missing Pacific Flying School plane this morning near Vunikavula Hills in Vanua Levu.
Two people were on board the Cessna 172 aircraft and a search team was activated yesterday afternoon to search for the plane.
Police say the Flying School has said that the plane left Nadi at 7.30am yesterday and was last located in Korotari at about 12.30pm yesterday.
Three Police teams were out searching for the plane.
The teams are headed by Divisional Police Commander Northern SSP Verani Nakauyaca.
They were searching in Suweni, Navakoro and Delaikoro until last night however this had to be called off due to bad weather.
The Fiji Maritime Surveillance Rescue Coordination Centre has tweeted that an air rescue team and medics are now on their way with comms gear, drones and rescue medical gear to continue with the search and rescue efforts.
#SAR (Vanua Levu) An Air Rescue team of @fmsrcc Navy SAR officers and @VFRfiji Rescue medics now enroute with comms gear, drone and Rescue medical gear to continue with SAR efforts. Additional aircraft tasking coordinated with MoD as SAR line ministry #DQFTR #Fiji #TeamFiji pic.twitter.com/VLG8fBzIoV
— FMSRCC (@fmsrcc) February 26, 2018
Fijivillage has received confirmation that the Flying School plane left Nadi with a flight instructor and two female trainee pilots.
One of the trainee pilots got off at Labasa Airport and the instructor and the other trainee pilot then went towards Savusavu Airport.
They could not land there due to bad weather and decided to fly back and land in Labasa. However the plane is missing since 12.30pm after it was seen in Korotari.
CAAF is yet to comment.
The Pacific Flying School says they can’t release anything at this stage.
Airports Fiji Limited has confirmed that the Cessna 172 aircraft is overdue after failing to report to Labasa Airport at around 12.15pm yesterday.
AFL says that it has alerted the Fiji Rescue Coordination Centre and the Police.
