Search, rescue operations underway as light aircraft goes missing off northeastern Japan

TOKYO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A light aircraft went missing on Thursday afternoon over the sea off northeastern Japan, local media quoted the Japan Coast Guard as saying.

According to local reports, the small plane with a Norwegian man in his 60s aboard, went missing on its way to New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido from an airport in Saipan.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane around 3:30 p.m. local time. The plane was last located over the sea about 120 km east of Miyagi Prefecture's Sendai airport, they said.

Search and rescue operations by air and sea are currently underway, according to the coast guard here.