Legislation, Lithuania, Security, Transport

A decision regarding the underwater search operation will be made in the short run.

"We are forced to state that we have done everything that was possible to find the pilots. It is painful to admit it but it is not possible to survive that long under such conditions. Now we must plan our resources and get prepared for other potential search and rescue operations in the sea," said Arturas Andrusaitis, the chief of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

The aircraft An-2's crew did not send out an SOS signal, says Algimantas Rascius, head of the Aeronautical Information Service of the Republic of Lithuania (Oro Navigacija).

On Thursday, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and its subordinate institutions recreated the events of last Saturday when an An-2 went missing in the Baltic Sea.

Officials said that the aircraft reported Palanga Air Traffic Control Centre its call-sign and pilots said that they were going to land in Klaipeda city at 5:20 p.m.

"If an aircraft does not land within thirty minutes after the expected landing time and there is no information about it, then a search and rescue operation is launched. From 5:20 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. call-signs and calls were made but us but no information was received, therefore, at 6:09 p.m., i.e. after 19 minutes, a rescue operation was launched," said the chief of the Aeronautical Information Service.

According to him, the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre reported to Klaipeda Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre about the missing aircraft and then an operation was launched. At 6:49 p.m., the Lithuanian Coordination Centre contacted Sweden's Coordination Centre and asked for help. Sweden sent out two fighter jets and along with them a Lithuanian helicopter and two Swedish Dash 8 aircrafts conducted a rescue operation from 7:30 p.m. to 23:30 p.m.

"It is very sad that the crew did not send out an SOS signal, we did not receive it. When an SOS signal is received, a search and rescue operation is always launched immediately," said the chief of the Aeronautical Information Service.