US Navy and local boats are helping in the search and rescue operation of the Air Niugini flight, which crashed into a Pacific lagoon in Micronesia on Friday, October 28.
The plane crashed while it was trying to land at Chuuk Island in the middle of heavy rain and poor visibility. When the plane fell, passengers maanged to escape from the emergency exits before the plane. However, one person is missing, while six passengers are in hospital in a stable condition.
Local boats and the US Navy created an Underwater Construction Team (UCT) in order to help the 35 passengers and 12 crew of the plane, as it crashed about a quarter mile short of the runway.
The Navy assisted local authorities by shuttling passengers and crew to shore using their inflatable boat prior to the plane sinking in approximately 100 feet of water. In addition, a chief hospital corpsman provided medical attention to at least one passenger who sustained minor injuries.
According to the airline, US divers inspected the interior of the plane, confirming that they did not find any passengers inside. The person missing has been reportedly see in a dinghy which was transporting the passengers and crew to the shore.
