June 25, 2003 American Piloted Missing African 727

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By Arturo Weiss, Newswriter

As the mystery of a missing African airliner lingers, more details of its disappearance, and a U.S. connection, are surfacing. The missing plane has been the subject of an international search since it vanished after departing Angola on May 25. The last known flight of the Boeing 727 was recorded shortly after it had been repossessed from Angola Air, which failed to make payments on the jet, according to the South African news service News24. A Florida family now claims a relative of theirs was the pilot hired to retrieve the aircraft. According to them, 51-year-old Ben Padilla had been contracted by a Miami-based firm to repossess the jet. They discount suggestions the aging airliner was stolen for criminal purposes. The family fears the jet crashed somewhere in the African continent. Stay tuned...