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Daniel Dal Zennaro / EPA, file
Italian fashion scion Vittorio Missoni is shown in a 2009 photo from Milan, Italy. The chief of the Missoni fashion house has been missing along with five others since Jan. 4, when his plane vanished after taking off from the Los Roques resort area en route to Caracas.
Wreckage that may be remains of the missing plane carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni and five others has been found on an island off the coast of Venezuela, an Italian official said Friday.
"I can confirm that the wreckage of an airplane has been found off the coast, but we don't know yet whether this was the same airplane that was carrying Mr. Missoni," an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
The wreckage was spotted along a rough stretch of unpopulated coast on the north side of the island of Curacao, said Norman Serphos, spokesman for the Curacao Public Prosecutor's Office. Because of rugged terrain and strong currents offshore, the island's coast guard was called in to assist with the recovery, which was completed Thursday afternoon, he said.
In the past two weeks, bags belonging to Missoni have been found on the same north coast of Curacao as well as on the neighboring island of Bonaire, Serphos said.
Venezuelan Government / AP, file
Venezuela National Civil Aviation Institute search Jan. 9 for a plane that went missing near Los Roques, Venezuela, five days earlier carrying Vittorio Missoni, his wife and four others. Wreckage has been found, but it was unclear early Friday whether it was that of the Missoni's plane.
He said the material recovered Thursday was in the early stages of scrutiny, and he was cautious about saying whether what was found was indeed part of an aircraft.
"There is an investigation going on to determine with experts what kind of material it is," Serphos said. "Even if it is from an airplane, then you still have to determine if it's from that aircraft that Mr. Missoni was on. We have a lot of things to do, probably [talk to] the maker of the airplane, the owner of the airplane and [check] the registration. A lot of things have to be confirmed. ... The minute that it's determined that it's an airplane, then the department of aviation will be involved."
The plane carrying the 58-year-old head of the major fashion house, his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, two Italian friends and two Venezuelan pilots has been missing since Jan. 4, when it took off from the resort area of Los Roques on its way to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
Minutes after the plane took off, it disappeared from radar.
The Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said more information about the wreckage was being eagerly awaited in Italy, where the Missoni name is iconic.
"We got the news early this morning from our embassy there [in Venezuela]," he said. "The investigations are ongoing. We are checking whether this was the plane."
The Missoni family has asked for privacy and the company has not issued a statement since Jan. 7, when Angela Missoni, sister of Vittorio, said the family was "moved by the affection and help we've had so far from the whole world and thankful to the authorities for their tireless search and rescue efforts."
"We will not give up," Angela Missoni said in the statement.
This story was originally published on Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:07 AM EST
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Enjoy every day, life is short .
Agreed, and may I add my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of all those aboard that flight :(
they lost it on Radar a few minutes after take off, and it takes them 2 months. In a few minutes, that small plane could have not gotten very far from the field. You have got to be kidding. Sounds like their SAR procedures suck.
That's why I don't fly in small planes they are a death trap. The bigger the plane the safer I feel.
They are as safe as larger airplanes, but general aviation pilots are inclined to be less experienced and more inclined to do stupid pilot things. Oh, and the engine doesn't stall, the wing does
Adding to what Rex said, the difference is the regulations that cover small aircraft vs airlines or charter aircraft. General aviation (small aircraft) operate with much less restriction than airlines and charter operations, which sometimes leads to "stupid pilot tricks". Saying small planes are death traps is uninformed. (18 year pilot & 12 year flight instructor)
If you check the records, more people (and not because they carry more passengers) are killed in large planes than in small ones. Small aircraft is safer than your family vehicle, overall.
Would you take fashion advice from someone who looks like they spent most of their lives abusing their body? Just sayin the industry is run by people who put the ug in ugly and the pomp in pompous. It is a wonder that anyone does not make the connection to lifestyle choices and harm to their body? While I feel for the loss his family may experience I also wonder how many victims of "body image" he left in his wake.
Rex and Wiley, after reading your comparison between small planes vs large plane, I conclude in agreement to valentinekid's statement, that larger planes are indeed safer.
Death trap??? I don't think so The survival rate for light aircraft crashes is above 65% the survival rate for large commercial jets is less than 15% I've personally walked away from 2 light plane accidents 1 of them without a scratch. Both planes were a total loss. My father flew bombers in WWII then flew for Pan American and Eastern Air Lines until retirement many of his friends died in multi engine plane crashes. He explained the possibilities of crashes when he taught me to fly as a teenager. In a single engine small plane an engine failure will most of the time allow you to glide far enough to find a good landing site. In a twin engine plane an engine failure is bad but you have that second engine as a backup and it will carry you driectly to the crash site, where you'll most likely burn to death. BTW I've been flying since I was 12 years old in 1955,I flew light planes virtually all my life, I flew 02 Skymasters in Vietnam which is a light twin that easily flies with one engine, I'm convinced that it's the best and safest airplane in the world. ( both of my boo boos were in this bird)
If you'd like to verify this try this link
Small planes will glide to a landing big planes fall like rocks
You can't post a link here so google it
Cletus there are more small aircraft carriers crashes than there are on larger ones. Of course the fatality would be a lot higher with the bigger ones.
I agree! Even if I was rich and could afford a small plane or to charter one-NO THANKS!
cletus snow, Welcome home brother, we sure did appreciate you guys being up there for us.
This will be such a great relief for everyone who lost a beloved family member on board. Not being able to get closure, to move forward,is such a terrible feeling.
As someone once said, "Death is blowing out the candle, because the dawn has come."
Arrogance & Entitlement go hand in hand with small plane ownership and always has. When the Bonanza V came out their nick name was fork tailed doctor killers. JB By-Rider crash in Florida was another case of too entitled to get the plane serviced. Every other month one hits the other somewhere near a country -club and sure there are responsible pilots with tons of experience and it will probably be them who gets taken out by some overpaid intoxicated doctor in a hurry to get to his next golf match.
How incredibly sad. I hope this brings closure for them.
i dont suppose there is a black box in these small air craft
Not unless it had a key and there was money inside
Most planes have black boxes, but it depends on whether the corporation that purchased the plane included it.
Through my vocation I deal with literally some of the richest people in the country. Some of them own private planes. These "arrogant and entitled" people who you obviously feel deserve to die don't have anything more to do with the maintenance of the aircraft than they do their vehicles or homes. That's what they hire staff to do.
Maybe if you ever had any interaction with an actual rich person, you might not hate them so much. I find most of them to be very nice.
well put, rich or not it is a sad loss of life. talented man yes, but a human being first. RIP and sympathies to his family.
He's a fashion icon??? You would think he get his hair cut "fashionably".
He looks homeless.
I thought long sideburns were out since the 70s
GEORGE W BUSH CAUSED THIS HORRIBLE ACCIDENT ! ! !
People, its so clear to see that GEORGE W.BUSH, Multinational Corporations, Big Oil Fatcats caused this. How do I know...?.... well..... I dont really know, but I WILL watch MSNBC later today and find out. They always seem to find a way to Blame Bush for everything.
ps: I think that 'guy' Rachael Maddow is so Handsome. Although 'he' seems a bit feminine at times.
Kennedy’s plane went into the sea at 10:00 on Friday night, July 16, 1999.By involving himself in Kennedy’s murder, George W. Bush was living out the legacy of his father and his father’s father.Probably same thing here
bigguns666,Why are you making libelous statements on the internet? Everything you put online stays forever.Maybe the former President Bush's attorney will see your post.
I have flown in single engine, multi- engine, turbo-prop, jet, gas powered and even an assortment of helicopters while doing my tour in Vietnam. I felt the safest in the UH-1B model Huey helicopter, even when our engine was disabled by ground fire, the pilot managed an auto-rotation to a walk away controlled crash landing. Unless the pilot is a terrorist or just wants to commit suicide, he isn't going to screw his plane into the ground by doing something that would endanger his own life. I have seen some pilots take a few risks, but from my experience they all want to live to see retirement age.