Very early on Monday morning, February 16, 2009 the AMA Venezuela plane took off and headed north toward Ciudad Bolivar.

Experienced mission pilot Bob Norton has been flying in southeast Venezuela for 8 years.  His wife Neiba usually stays at home, but this time she accompanied her husband.

The plane landed briefly at the village of Karum, possibly to pick up patients.

Bob called the radio operator at his next stop, the village of Bethel to ask about weather conditions and give an ETA (estimated time of arrival).  The weather was stormy, but Bob had been flying in stormy weather quite often without any mishaps.  But this time the airplane disappeared, possibly somewhere in the dense jungle along the route traced below.

During the flight between Karum and Bethel, Bob called the Bethel radio operator.  But the message was garbled, and nobody understood what was being said.  When the plane did not arrive at Bethel as expected, aviation authorities were notified.

Search parties by air and by ground were organized, but many days went by and there was no sign of the plane or its passengers.

Gladys Zerpa (left), teacher and administrator of Colgransa Adventist boarding school was in the plane when it disappeared.

Also on board was a 14-year-old girl and a newborn baby, each accompanied by a parent.

Friends of the Nortons and AMA Venezuela arranged with Google Earth to do a high definition satellite scan of the area, and many volunteers are looking for any possible signs of the missing plane.

Thousands of people in Venezuela have been helped by Bob and Neiba's ministry.  Many lives have been saved, and the people love "their" plane and pilot. 

Bob loved the people, he loved serving God, and he served by faith, volunteering his time without a salary, trusting God to provide funding through donors who wanted to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Bob's father Elwin Norton died in the mountains of south Mexico in 1980 when his plane crashed into a mountainside after both magnetos failed.

Bob's brother Bill currently serves in Papua New Guinea as a mission pilot.

This time of waiting has been difficult for the family and friends of Bob Norton, as well as the loved ones of four other families of those who were in the plane.

Bob's sister Barbara has been very much involved in his ministry.  She edited and sent out his monthly e-mail reports, shared his video updates and since Bob's disappearance, has kept folks updated on any news during the search.

Her inspirational message below, written six days after the plane disappeared, confirms her faith that ultimately, God is in control.
 

This link has information about the search efforts, along with links to other online articles about the missing plane.  Click here if you wish to contact Barbara.
 

Webmaster note: Bob and his family have been good friends of my family since 1968, when our parents served as volunteer missionaries in Chiapas, Mexico.  It has been a privilege to be a part of Bob's ministry.  Our son Daniel flew with Bob, and currently volunteers as a mission pilot in Bolivia.
~Fred Adams~