Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The search teams in the Philippines have come across with important information that may lead them to unravel the mystery about the fate of Saudi trainee pilot Abdullah Al-Shareef, who went missing since May 17 through locating the lost plane within the coming 48 hours.

The information came exactly one month after the specialists in the search team made thorough examination of minute details about the plane’s departure, direction of movement, speed, loss of contact and other information that came across after starting their search operation.

The family members of Al-Shareef told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that these indicators came after analysis of the available information on the disappearance, using the latest equipment and technology. They said that the search and rescue teams could not find any debris, wreckage or parts of the aircraft under water or floating in water.

Al-Shareef went missing in Occidental Mindoro island during a training flight with his Filipino trainer. Al-Shareef and his brother, who are studying aviation in the Philippines at their own expense, went to the island for training.

Since getting information about the missing pilot, his family members reached the island where the plane disappeared to follow up on the incident. It was a shock for the family on what was circulated recently on finding of the plane’s wreckage after its disappearance from the radar screen, as well as some bodies and shredded flesh in the sea and personal belongings of the trainer.

Till this moment, all the circulating information on finding the plane’s wreckage and some shredded body parts are found to be untrue. However, a fisherman found a bag containing the trainer’s identity card, bank cards and photos, and this is the only confirmed information after both of them went missing, they said.

The relatives demanded compliance with accuracy and credibility in publishing information and not to circulate rumors, as these are affecting the missing pilot’s family.

“The information with us indicates that the plane that went missing did not crash and Abdullah and his companion, the Filipino trainer, are alive,” they said while urging the embassy to exert more efforts to unravel the mystery at the earliest.