A plane has disappeared while flying to the Bahamas.

Authorities were desperately searching for a Piper PA-31 aircraft that took off from Robert F Swinnie Airport, in Andrews, South Carolina, yesterday morning.

Traffic control received an in-flight emergency report from the plane before it vanished from the radar at approximately 11.33am.

It was located 110 miles south-southeast of Charleston at the time.

Search and rescue crews are now looking for a private aircraft that went missing off of the South Carolina coast Thursday. The FAA confirms to FOX Carolina the Piper PA-31 aircraft went missing around 11:33 a.m. 110 miles south-southeast of Charleston. The plane departed from Robert F. Swinnie Airport in Andrews and was en route to the Bahamas. Both U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy are searching the area. The Coast Guard said the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center received a report from the aircraft of an in-flight emergency, lost contact on radar and notified the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Coast Guard officials confirm to they are responding to a downed aircraft, but cannot confirm the passenger manifest or crew complement until next of kin are notified.
The Piper PA-31 aircraft was near Charleston when it went missing (Picture: Balcer/ Wikipedia)

The US Coast Guard, which is being supported by the US Navy, confirmed it was looking for a downed aircraft, with experts believing it may have crashed into the sea.

It tweeted: ‘Crews are responding to a downed civilian aircraft approximately 110 miles east of Charleston, SC.

‘USCG has multiple assets searching the aircraft’s last known location’.

The disappearance of the plane was also confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Search and rescue crews are now looking for a private aircraft that went missing off of the South Carolina coast Thursday. The FAA confirms to FOX Carolina the Piper PA-31 aircraft went missing around 11:33 a.m. 110 miles south-southeast of Charleston. The plane departed from Robert F. Swinnie Airport in Andrews and was en route to the Bahamas. Both U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy are searching the area. The Coast Guard said the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center received a report from the aircraft of an in-flight emergency, lost contact on radar and notified the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Coast Guard officials confirm to they are responding to a downed aircraft, but cannot confirm the passenger manifest or crew complement until next of kin are notified.
Click to enlarge: Rescue crews are currently looking for the plane

The aircraft has capacity of nine passengers but officials have yet to confirm the amount of people it was carrying.

Authorities said they would release this information once next of kin had been contacted.

The missing plane, which was due to land on Eleuthera island, belonged to a firm in Delaware.

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