Aircraft Emergency Signal Prompts Sea and Air Search

Lifeboat crews were launched in the early hours of the morning after an emergency aircraft signal triggered a major search operation off the south coast. Volunteers from RNLI at Dungeness Lifeboat Station were paged at 2.08am on Saturday, March 14 following reports that an aircraft had transmitted an emergency squawk. The RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat launched […]

Lifeboat crews were launched in the early hours of the morning after an emergency aircraft signal triggered a major search operation off the south coast.

Volunteers from RNLI at Dungeness Lifeboat Station were paged at 2.08am on Saturday, March 14 following reports that an aircraft had transmitted an emergency squawk.

The RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat launched at 2.30am and headed at best speed towards the aircraft’s last known location.

During the operation, crews carried out two detailed search patterns across the area while a HM Coastguard helicopter searched from the air.

After around four hours of searching, nothing was found and the lifeboat was stood down by the Coastguard shortly before 7am, before returning to station.

It has not yet been confirmed what triggered the emergency aircraft signal.