Plane with 3 Canadians missing in Antarctica

PanARMENIAN.Net - Bad weather is hampering the search for a plane that has gone missing in Antarctica with three Canadians aboard, during a journey from the South Pole, CBC News reported.

The pilot has been identified by his wife, as Bob Heath from Inuvik, N.W.T. The missing plane was being operated by Kenn Borek Air, a Calgary-based company which has not confirmed the names of the people on board.

Rescuers began searching for the Twin Otter aircraft after its emergency transmitter was activated at around 10 pm local time Tuesday, Jan 22, Maritime New Zealand said in a release.

Steve Rendle, a spokesman for Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand, told CBC News by phone a DC-3 is now circling the area where the signal is coming from but pilots have not been able to spot the Twin Otter.

There is a lot of cloud cover at 22,000 feet and extreme winds are making it impossible for the DC-3 to descend any lower said Rendle.

The forecast is also calling for heavy snowfall. There is constant daylight in the region at this time of year so the DC-3 will remain in the area for as long as possible.

"As conditions allow, things will be done," said Rendle.

The beacon is transmitting from the northern end of the continent's Queen Alexandra mountain range, in the same region as McMurdo Station, an American research station on the continent. That site is about 150 kilometers from the South Pole.

Once the weather clears, the plan is to set up a rescue base 50 kilometres from where it is believed the plane went down en route to an Italian base in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica.

The condition of those who were onboard the aircraft is unknown but "standard operating procedure in Antarctica is to travel with survival suits and supplies," said Rendle.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it’s aware of the incident and is awaiting more details.