Search Underway For Missing Plane

Tuesday, December 25th 2007, 2:57 pm

By: News On 6

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- Rescue workers and volunteers are searching a mountainous area of western Panama to find three Americans and a Panamanian pilot whose small plane went missing over the weekend.

But officials say dense tropical foliage, mountainous terrain and heavy rains are making air and land searches extremely difficult.

Michael Klein, a hedge fund manager from California, was on vacation with his daughter and her friend. Klein's ex-wife says the three were scheduled to return to Santa Barbara, California, on Monday.

The group's plane disappeared after taking off Sunday morning about 285 miles west of Panama City. Officials say searchers flew over the area twice this morning without any luck.