Samll AC with 4 English turist disappear in Bahia, Brasil

[OpenSky2008]

News from "Le soir", Belgium:
A small airplane with 4 british passengers and 2 oficers on board desappear on friday over the coast of the state of Bahia, Brasil. The twin AC from the company Aero Star flew from Bahia to the touristic town of Ilheus. Last contact on fridau night.

Does anybody have some news?

[cwatters]

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gCfEPEThSDoVAV-rdPxzvS6P0Gtw

Fears for Britons on missing plane
13 minutes ago

A major search was under way amid fears Britons were on board a plane which vanished off the coast of Brazil.

The aircraft was reportedly carrying four businessmen, with sources confirming there were at least two Britons on board, when it lost contact with air-traffic controllers minutes before it was due to land.

Teams from the British consulate in Sao Paulo were on their way to the coastal city of Ilheus, in the north-east of the country, to provide assistance, the Foreign Office said.

The twin-engine Cessna 310 had been due to land at the beach resort's airport.

According to reports, its passengers are involved in the tourist industry and own hotels and apartments in Brazil's tropical Bahia region.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman was unable to confirm details, but said: "A small plane has been reported missing and it is possible that there are British nationals on board."

A number of aircraft were sent to look for the plane after it disappeared off the Atlantic coast.

Brazilian authorities were also investigating eyewitnesses who said they saw a plane crash. The flight was operated by Aero Star, a small charter firm based in Salvador, Bahia's state capital.

Ellen Duarte, business manager for Aero Star, said the Cessna made its final contact with the Ilheus control tower as it flew south from Salvador. "It was flying perfectly," Ms Duarte said. "The pilot said he was making a visual approach to the airport, and that was the last we heard."

Brazil's coastguard and three Aero Star helicopters searched for signs of a crash, but found nothing, she said. Bahia state police and air rescue joined the search.

[airfoilmod]

Two reports claim two pilots and four pax. aboard. I hope not, unless they were very small people. The 310 has six seats. The 310 is not a six place aircraft. (except in narrow and strict GW and CoG limits).

(my source for six souls on Board the International Herald Tribune, via AP).

[mason]

I would just like to point out there has been a few accidents lately involving the cessna 310 all seem to have been on final .
-In los Angelos 13 april 08
-In Cuatro Vientos 29/04/08
This could be because there is a high number in use
but i would have thought that more accidents would
be in more popular training aircraft such as the seneca or duchess .

[airfoilmod]

Without researching the Database, I can venture an opinion that the 310 is a Very old design, out of production for many years, very cheap to acquire and extremely expensive to maintain in charter legal environment. It was produced for maybe 15 years and was targeted at wealthy owner pilots. It is fast, not known as a cargo or passenger A/C, and can be difficult to manage in icing, IMC, and at altitude. Cessna's last major propellor entry into "commuter" ops was the 400 series 402, a 9 pax twin available with turbocharging and beefy gear. That was 30 years ago. The 310 was introduced in 1958 (?). With all due respect to Cessna and those flying the 310 in revenue ops, I think with some notable exceptions that it is a museum piece.

The Seneca and the Duchess are slower, more forgiving A/C, Multi training types. The 310 is by no means a multi trainer, maybe a time builder for a seasoned pilot. The 310 has a maze for a fuel system, is GrossWeight and CG touchy. It is however a very good looking A/C.

[charterguy]

The distance between Salvador and Ilheus is only 120 nm, so roughly 45 minutes in a C310. Unless they had tons of baggage, 2 crew and 4 pax should not be a problem.

Airfoilmod mentioned that the C310 can be difficult in icing conditions. Somehow I don't think that icing would have been a problem here !
Maybe dual engine failure due to contaminated fuel ?

The only C310 we show in our database for Aerostar is PT-JGX and it was manufactured in 1974 (34 years old).

If they had the money to buy hotels, makes you wonder why they chartered a C310 ? Probably the recommendation of a 'garden shed' broker trying to save 'his' client money !! :ugh: There are two jet operators at Salvadore.

CG

[oildrum]

Charterguy: The Times on Line, "world news" are currently running a report about the guys on board titled "Money Worries" an incite into their personal/financial affairs,colourful characters who lived life I would say, hope all of them make it including crew, very sad/difficult time for the families.

[MacBoero]

Flying from Salvador to Ilhéus in a straight line would be out over the Atlantic for virtually the entire journey. If they followed the coast the coastal region around Ilhéus is forested. The early to mid part of a coastal journey, there are a lot of river estuaries and islets. Not the best part of Brazil to come down and expect to be found.

I do hope they managed to come down alive somewhere.:sad:

[Tmbstory]

Airfoilmod

The Cessna 310 was the standard by which other twins of that era were measured. I can personally vouch for it as an instrument trainer and the ability of it to carry ice was above average. Cloud seeding operations proved to me the quality of the aeroplane.

Tmb

[OpenSky2008]

Did they found the plane? Have somebody some fresh news? TX

[TamairTarmac]

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/world/Wreckage-found-in-hunt-for.4055517.jp

Does anyone know if there's an official report somewhere? Not on NTSB that I can find.