Aircraft Of U.S. Registry, Pilot Missing

A U.S. registered Cirrus SR22 went down in the English Channel off the coast of Kent, England Sunday. The pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, has not been found.

The BBC reports that a French SAR helicopter located the wreckage of the airplane late Sunday, but a search for the pilot was called off as daylight faded. 

The Cirrus, which according to the FAA N-number database was registered to 1944 Holding Inc. Trustee of Wilmington, DE, was reportedly en route to Le Toquet in France from London when it was reported to be overdue. Both Britain and France launched SAR efforts to locate the aircraft and the pilot. The London Evening Standard reports that the search for the pilot was suspended Monday.

The wreckage was located four miles inside the boundary marking British territorial waters, and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch launched a team to begin to collect evidence and open an investigation. But an AAIB Spokesman said it has not yet been determined if the full investigation will be led by that agency or the French BEA.

(Cirrus SR22 image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.aaib.gov.uk, www.bea.aero/en