The aerial searches of the pilot and sole crew member of the plane that crashed this Friday about two miles south of Porto da Baleeira, in Sagres, have already ceased with nightfall, but the marine environment should remain in the at night, “hitting the zone”, although with less intensity.
"As soon as there is light, the maritime means will resume search and rescue in full, but the air means will no longer be used, which will still be on standby and will be used if there is any evidence to justify it," he revealed to Sul Informação Major Paulo Mineiro, from the Portuguese Air Force, the entity that is coordinating the operations.
The missing man, after the crash of the Cessna plane he was crewing at sea, has been searched for since shortly after 11 am, but has not yet been located. So far, only parts of the fuselage and an engine have been found, but the plane's cabin is still missing.
The warning that a plane had crashed was given by the fishing vessel “Adriano José”, today, around 11 am. According to the report that the crew of the fishing boat made to the maritime authorities, the plane was flying at low altitude and ended up crashing into the sea. At the time, a heavy fog was installed. Even so, when the search began, the fog had already dissipated, according to Major Paulo Mineiro.
The area where the plane crashed is "between 20 to 25 meters deep", which "allows the use of divers, if there is strong evidence" of the presence of debris. "But that's just a hypothesis, for now," said the Air Force officer.
The plane that crashed into the sea, a Cessna 152 (two seats), it departed from the Municipal Aerodrome of Portimão, between 10:00 am and 10:15 am, and will have crashed around 11:XNUMX am, off Sagres. Only the pilot followed, a 74-year-old man from Mexilhoeira Grande, in Portimão, an emigrant in Canada.
Photos of: Armindo Vincent
Comments