The debris has been found off the County Antrim coast
Two people are feared to have died after wreckage from a light aircraft was found off the County Antrim coast.
The UK Coastguard has confirmed that the debris found is from a microlight that went missing on Thursday.
The aircraft - an Ikarus C42 - disappeared after leaving City of Derry Airport for Scotland. A search for the two passengers is ongoing.
Wreckage, including the tail fin, was discovered by a Dublin couple who were on holiday in their yacht.
The debris was found about 1km off the coast.
The rescue operation has been co-ordinated by Belfast Coastguard.
Five lifeboats were launched from Larne and Red Bay in Northern Ireland and Portpatrick in Scotland on Thursday evening.
They were joined by coastguard helicopters from Prestwick and the Irish coastguard helicopter from Dublin.
The search was called off on Friday night due to poor visibility, however rescue teams will meet again on Saturday morning to assess the situation.
Sean McCarry said fog may have been a factor in what happened to the aircraft
Community Rescue Service are also assisting using thermal imaging technology.
Sean McCarry, from the Community Rescue Service, said that "the chances of finding survivors was less and less" as time goes on.
"We always have to keep up hope but it certainly is a blow when you find wreckage," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra.
"The most important thing now is to try and identify and find where the two persons who were on the aircraft are and try to put a plan into place to recover those persons."
The aircraft went missing after leaving City of Derry Airport with another light aircraft that landed safely in Scotland.
Mr McCarry said that fog may have been a factor in what happened, although "it is too early to say fog had a main role".
"These two light aircraft were travelling together," said Mr McCarry. "One missed the fog and one entered fog and we're now seeing possibly the results of that."
- Published10 June 2016
