KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (AP):

A small plane with two persons on board was reported missing yesterday and was believed to have crashed in the Caribbean Sea near the island nation of St. Vincent, authorities said.

The Aero Commander 500 aeroplane, operated by SVG Air, was due to land in St. Vincent on Sunday evening after a short flight from the tiny island of Canouan.

Rescue crews searched the area for the pilot and one passenger who were on board, the airline said.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves identified the pilot as Dominic Gonsalves, a Guyanese national, and the passenger as Rasheed Abrihim, a Trinidad native. Both men are residents of St. Vincent.

SVG Air offers scheduled and charter flights to islands throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as charter service to other Caribbean destinations including Martinique, Antigua, and Trinidad.