A small aircraft that disappeared while travelling from St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Tobago has been found, with authorities confirming that there were no fatalities.

The Dominican Republic-registered Beechcraft Baron, carrying two people on board, sparked concern across the region after it vanished during a flight on Friday, June 12.

The aircraft departed Argyle International Airport at approximately 11:52 a.m. and was expected to arrive at ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago just over an hour later. However, contact was lost shortly after the plane exited St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ airspace, prompting an immediate search effort involving local, regional and international agencies.

Speaking on a radio programme on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security St Clair Leacock confirmed that the aircraft had been located and that there had been no loss of life.

While Leacock did not disclose where the aircraft was found, he said authorities had worked closely with several regional security agencies throughout the operation.

Since the aircraft’s disappearance, officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines remained in constant communication with the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) and the Trinidad-based Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), among other partners.

Leacock said authorities have gathered information relating to the aircraft and those associated with it, but declined to reveal further details as investigations continue.

“I cannot share all of the information that we have on it,” he said, noting that releasing certain operational details could interfere with ongoing intelligence and security efforts.

The minister suggested that investigators are focusing not only on locating the aircraft but also on understanding the circumstances surrounding those who were travelling on board.

Before communications were lost, the aircraft was being tracked by flight monitoring service Flightradar24. Data showed it flying under visual flight rules at an altitude of approximately 4,025 feet and travelling at 142 knots.

Its tracking signal disappeared abruptly over the Southern Caribbean Sea, leading to speculation that the aircraft may have been near Grenadian or Venezuelan territorial waters when contact was lost.

The successful discovery of the aircraft brings a positive conclusion to a search that had generated significant concern across the region over the weekend.

Authorities have indicated that additional information is expected to be released as the investigation progresses.