Photograph of missing aircraft Photographer: Romain Roux Shot Date: 2017-02-20
Airport: Pointe-à-Pitre Airport, Airport-Data.Com
Search For The Single-Engine, Piper PA-28, France-Registered-F-OGKO With Four French Nationals On Board Called Off Tuesday Afternoon
BACKGROUND
Shortly after 7 pm on Sunday, February 16, a local journalist, Emerline Anslem reported that unconfirmed reports reaching Emonews had stated that a small aircraft may have gone down in the sea near Marigot in Dominica.
8:49 p.m. a French media agency, Guadeloupe la 1ère posted on its website that a small passenger plane, a Piper F-OGKO, with 4 people, 2 pilots and 2 passengers on board reportedly [had] crashed in Dominica
According to the website, a Center Régional Opérationnel de Sauvetageaux Antilles et en Guyane (CROS AG) rescue operation is currently underway.
local fisherfolk from Marigot join the coast guard in the search and rescue operation and head out into the darken sea to look for the missing plane
10:24 am, Monday, February 17, Martinique la 1ère posted, that two helicopters had joined the search with CROS AG.
SEARCH FOR MISSING PLANE ENDED TUESDAY | UPDATE
Search For The Single-Engine, Piper PA-28, France-Registered-F-OGKO With Four French Nationals On Board Called Off Tuesday Afternoon
SPEAKING ON THE NATION’S BROADCASTER
DBS RADIO
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille said “French-registered aircraft was given clearance to take off from Douglas-Charles Airport destined for Le Raizet Airport in Guadeloupe.” “He said the aircraft was airborne at about 6:43 pm and was instructed by the air traffic controller to report when he passed 1500ft in the climb.” “minutes later, the air traffic controller attempted to contact the aircraft for a frequency change to Raizet control, but was unable to make contact with the aircraft.”
SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT “He made several attempts but received no response. The air traffic controller took a look at the radar viewing that we have at the airport and could not identify the aircraft…”,
“the Raizet Airport was immediately contacted and they informed Douglas-Charles Control that they had no information on the aircraft.”
“At that point in time the aircraft, not being in contact with the air traffic control in Dominica and not being in contact with Guadeloupe was considered to be a missing aircraft,” Bardouille said
Later on Monday landing gear and personal effects are found at sea
Four French citizens, including a 16-year-old, have been reported missing A 40-year-old man, a 55-year-old couple and their 15-year-old son were aboard the aircraft
The rescue teams included the the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, the Dominica coast guard and fisherfolk in Marigot. Civil security helicopters from Martinique, Dragon 972, and Alouette 3 from the French Navy, a patrol boat from the Dominican police, the SNSM star from Point-à-Pitre and local fisherfolk from Marigot are among first responders searching for the missing aircraft and its occupants
Early Monday morning, the search was suspended and resumed later that day
Search was hampered by choppy seas and inclement weather
At 8 am on Tuesday, February 18, the oceanographic ship L ‘Atalanta de l’ IFREMER responded to the distress message of the Cross AG. Préfecture de Guadeloupe
“After over 40 hours of search in difficult weather conditions, there is unfortunately no more hope to find survivors”
The Perfecture of Guadeloupe
“Despite substantial measures, the search team have only found some of the passengers’ personal belongings and parts of a plane”,
“The search conditions are made difficult with strong winds and rough seas causing poor visibility due to frequent squalls,”
Pointe-à-Pitre Airport, Le Raizet Airport France
SEARCH FOR PIPER PA-28, France-Registered-F-OGKO CALLED OFF
On Tuesday, afternoon, February 18, CROSS AG, in coordination with the air navigation services Antilles Guyane and the prefect of Guadeloupe, decided to stop the searches .
Guadeloupe la 1ère
NO FURTHER DETAILS ON THE PILOTS OR THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS ARE KNOWN
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Produced by Albert Williams (C) Albert Williams 2020
Original footage by EmoNews (C) Emerline Anslem 2020
Additional thanks to:
Euronews
Dominica News Online
Guadeloupe la 1ère
Martinique la 1ère
Romain Roux
Perfecture of Guadeloupe
Albert Williams
reporting Always follow official source
ALBERT WILLIAMS Reporting 
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