Helicopters and lifeboats battle worsening weather to find plane believed to be a Piper Malibu bound for Cardiff from France

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

An air and sea search has been launched after a plane disappeared from radar over the English Channel.

Rescue teams were scrambled to waters north of Alderney in the Channel Islands after the light aircraft vanished on Monday evening, Guernsey police said.

“A search and rescue operation is currently under way off the north of Alderney after a light aircraft disappeared from radar several hours ago,” the force said.

“Two helicopters alongside the Guernsey and Alderney lifeboats are searching for it.”

The Alderney lifeboat said it launched at 8.50pm on Monday night.

According to the BBC, the Piper Malibu with two people on board lost contact near the Casquets lighthouse around eight miles north-west of Alderney at 8.30pm.

The plane is thought to have been travelling from Nantes in Brittany to Cardiff.

HM Coastguard said the incident was not in the UK search and rescue area, although it had sent two helicopters to help.

“HM Coastguard helicopters from Solent and Newquay have been helping to search overnight with nothing found,” it said.

The search and rescue operation had to deal with worsening conditions as they scoured the area on Monday night.

“At that time there were some showers around, but nothing too intense. Wind speeds were not too bad – average speeds were around 15 to 20mph,” Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said.

“But it has got pretty wet, we’ve seen a band of rain push down from the north-west. That rain set in around 11.30pm to midnight and it’s still raining now.

“It’s also a bit windier, with gusts around 35mph.”