Crews seek plane with 46 aboard in Venezuela; residents report hearing a crash
JORGE RUEDA, Associated Press Writer
February 22, 2008 12:50 AM
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Rescue crews were sent Friday to find a commercial airliner carrying 46 people that disappeared in southwestern Venezuela. Officials feared the worst after residents reported hearing a crash in the mountains.
The flight was reported missing 30 minutes after takeoff on Thursday from the city of Merida. The rescue crews were headed to the mountainous area of Collado del Condor, at an altitude of about 13,000 feet.
Residents in the area reported by phone ''that they heard a great crash,'' said Noel Marquez, the emergency management director in Merida state.
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Santa Barbara is a small airline that covers domestic routes in Venezuela.
The French-made ATR 42-300 carrying 43 passengers and three crew members took off from Merida's airport at 4:59 p.m., officials said. The duration of the flight was to have been an hour and 45 minutes.
The area where it disappeared is about 400 miles southwest of Caracas.
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