Debris of missing microlight found at Glenarm

It is understood that two people had been aboard. A yacht, which had responded to the Mayday relay broadcast and joined the search efforts, located the debris north of Glenarm.

It has been confirmed as belonging to the microlight aircraft that went missing yesterday, the Coastguard said.

Police are providing support to the families. The Coastguard made the announcement at 5.14pm today.

The aircraft was one of two to depart from City of Derry Airport bound for Scotland yesterday, but while the other microlight landed safely, the second failed to arrive, according to the Derry Journal.

At around 8.30pm last night Distress and Diversion based at Swanwick notified the UK Coastguard that a small micro light aircraft with two persons on board had been reported overdue.

The microlight was transiting the Northern Ireland coastline when it went missing.

Last night and in the early hours of this morning, the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Prestwick, the Irish Coastguard helicopter based at Dublin, Ballycastle, Coleraine, Stranraer, Portpatrick, Larne and Campbelltown Coastguard Rescue Teams, Larne RNLI inshore and all weather lifeboats, Red Bay inshore and all weather lifeboats and Portpatrick RNLI all weather lifeboats, were all involved in the search.