Santiago, Mar 23 (IANS): A small plane with eight people onboard went missing in Chile shortly after taking off Thursday, the civil aviation authority said.
The plane, a Beechcraft BE300, disappeared from radar around 40 minutes after taking off from the southern city of Punta Arenas, Xinhua reported.
A stress call had been sent by the pilot before losing contact with ground control, officials said.
The eight passengers included a patient and three medical personnel. The plane was on its way to the Chilean capital Santiago.
The Chilean Air Force has launched a search and rescue mission.