Two people missing on light plane near Foxton

Rescue teams are headed to the Tararua Ranges this morning, searching for a missing light plane with two people on board.

The plane took off from Foxpine Airstrip, north of Foxton, and was reported missing at 8pm on Sunday night.

The private flight was heading to Paraparaumu.

Foxpine Airfield operator Keven Roberts confirmed the missing plane was on a training flight and they appeared to be heading towards Masterton for training.

He said the last contact with the aircraft was at the Tararua Ranges.

Roberts said he had been involved in the search last night but they had been "searching in the wrong place."

Search crews were this morning heading to the last known position of the plane in the mountain range.

MissingPlane

Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman Vince Cholewa said the last known radar position of the aircraft was at 2.41pm yesterday high in the mountains on the eastern side of the Tararuas and west of Eketahuna. It was reported missing at 8pm last night.

An Air Force helicopter would be heading to the position with a land search and rescue team from Palmerston North.

A second team would go in by land from Eketahuna through the end of Putara Rd.

"There wasn't any emergency locator transmitter but the pilot would have been carrying a personal locator beacon," he said.