A Piper plane went missing after departing from an airport in Isabela on Thursday morning, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) reported on Friday.

Eric Apolonio, CAAP spokesperson, said a Piper PA-32-300 type of aircraft, with registry number RP-C1234, was reported missing on November 30, 2023 after departing from Cauayan Airport at 9:39 am.

Apolonio said the missing aircraft owned by Fliteline Airways and operated by Cyclone Airways with one pilot and a passenger on board was supposed to arrive at Palanan Airport at around 10:23 am.

"The last communication of the aircraft with Cauayan Tower was around 9:50 am Thursday morning. Its last known position was the last blip from the aircraft as captured by Flight Radar 24 which is about 29.09 nautical miles east of Cauayan airport at 10 am," he said.

"Search and rescue units are now being organized. Cauayan Airport and Tower will extend operations today until 6 pm and will open early at 6 am to activate search and rescue operations," he added.

Apolonio noted that the military and civilian groups are also conducting communication searches for any possible sighting of RP-C1234.

He also mentioned that there was "no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) distress alert has been received by Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center from the missing aircraft (while) a distress message... was received by the CAAP Operations Center from the Cauayan Tower at around 11:08 am yesterday.''

Apolonio explained that the code DETRESFA or "Distress Phase signifies an emergency situation wherein there is a reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance".

"Caap Go Team from Aircraft Accident and Inquiry Investigation Board (AAIIB) headed by Romel Rhonda and Harry Paradero are now at Cauayan airport to conduct an investigation," he said. Robina Asido/DMS