Saturday 26 January 2013

3 feared dead after plane wreckage found in Antarctica


The spokesman for a U.S. Antarctic program said 24-hour daylight this time of year is one plus for search efforts.

(CNN) -- Authorities found the wreckage of a plane that crashed days ago in Antarctica in a condition that suggested no one survived.

Searchers found the damaged plane, a Twin Otter aircraft carrying three people, close to the summit in Queen Alexandra Range, in Antarctica.

The plane "appears to have made a direct impact that was not survivable," Maritime New Zealand said Saturday.

The condition of the three Canadian crew members aboard the aircraft had been unknown since the the flight went missing Wednesday.

The plane was flying from the South Pole to an Italian base at Terra Nova Bay, Maritime New Zealand said.

The missing crew had a kit that included survival suits, mountain tents, and enough food and water for five days.

The aircraft was believed to have been flying at a height of 13,000 feet near the top of Mount Elizabeth, part of the rugged Queen Alexandra Range. It is a long distance from any bases in Antarctica.

- CNN

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