Rescuers stop search in Baltic Sea for missing Lithuanian airplane

On Sunday night the search operation for a missing Lithuanian airplane An-2 was suspended in the Baltics. The civilian aircraft with a crew of two was flying on Saturday from Sweden to Lithuania but disappeared in the Lithuanian airspace. Navy vessels had been participating in the search operation since Saturday but returned to the port on Sunday night.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received information from the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre that contact with airplane An-2 was lost over the Baltics.

Air Force helicopter Mi-8 and aircraft L-410 were immediately sent to the search area. Two Navy ships - search and rescue ship Sakiai and command and supply ship Jotvingis (N42) - joined the operation. Latvian helicopter Mi-17 was searching for the plane over Latvian territorial waters. Sweden also dispatched aircraft.

The search operation was being coordinated by the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at first but was later taken over by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.