Plane Carrying Vittorio Missoni Missing Near Venezuela

Search crews are working by land and sea today to find a small twin-engine plane that never made it to its destination Friday in Venezuela. Among the six people aboard the missing aircraft were Vittorio Missoni, co-owner of the iconic Italian fashion brand, and his partner, Maurizia Castiglioni.

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“The small plane they were traveling on has disappeared. This is all the information currently available,” the company said in a statement. “We are relying on the work of the Farnesina [Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs] and all the institutions involved, to whom we are grateful for the prompt activities in the research. As more information becomes available the company will issue further statements.”

The couple were vacationing on Los Roques, Venezuela's coastal resort island, for the holidays with two of their Italian friends, Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti. The four boarded the small BN-2 Islander aircraft, which was staffed by two Venezuelan pilots, and headed for Maiquetia, only 90 miles away near Venezuela's capital, Caracas. But shortly after takeoff, the plane went off radar. The six missing persons or the aircraft have not been located.

Missoni is the commercial and marketing director for the legendary brand and is the son of founders Ottavio and Rosita Missoni. He, along with his two siblings, heads up the family company known for its colorful chevron patterns. Missoni is scheduled to display its latest menswear collection later this month in Milan.