Plane with 46 on board reported missing in Venezuela

2/21/2008

CARACAS, Venezuela A commercial airliner with 46 people on board was reported missing Thursday in western Venezuela, officials said.

The twin-engine plane failed to contact traffic controllers as expected after it took off from Merida en route to Caracas airport, said Noel Marquez, director of Venezuela s emergency management agency in Merida.

It did not make contact with the control towers, Marquez said. He said authorities were searching for the plane and confirmed that it belonged to Santa Barbara, a small Venezuelan airline that covers domestic routes.

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