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PHILIPSBURG--The Daily Herald understands that although the remains of the cockpit of the crashed Skyways aircraft have been located, the missing pilot and his seat were not found inside.

The wreckage of the missing Skyways plane was located by the search and rescue team in cooperation with the Coast Guard off the coast of St. Maarten on Sunday at a depth of some 75 feet.

Civil Aviation and Maritime Department head Louis Halley confirmed the find of the wreckage during a press conference held together with Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Ted Richardson, Secretary-General Miguel De Weever and members of the search and rescue team.

Search efforts continued on Sunday and will continue today, Monday. A source told this newspaper that the scene underwater would have to be recorded and photographed before a salvage company could be called in to try to lift the wreckage.

This paper understands that pieces of the aircraft found include a wing and the fuselage. The cabin has been located and, alongside efforts to recover it, extended searches will be made in the wider area of the parts found. It is hoped that those extended searches will lead to the location of the missing pilot.

The press conference was opened by Minister Richardson, who welcomed the Puerto Rico representatives and offered condolences to the relatives of pilot Eric Schnell. He added that he hoped the second pilot, Rigoberto Lopez, who is still missing, would be found soon.

Halley gave a brief overview of the actions taken so far regarding the investigation. An accident investigation team was put together with Richard van Dinter as lead investigator.

Also involved in the team are two senior inspectors from the United Kingdom and United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators who are in charge of the investigation of the maintenance and logbooks of the aircraft. This part of the investigation will be completed in the United States with a report being sent to St. Maarten to be included in the final report.

A team also has been sent from San Juan, Puerto Rico, who brought specialised equipment, including a sonar ship. The team went out on Sunday and wreckage was located at sea in approximately 75 feet of water

St. Maarten Coast Guard newly-instated head Glen Werleman said the Coast Guard was taking care of the logistical part of the operation and had been out at sea on Sunday to assist the team, securing the search area and providing briefing rooms.

Puerto Rican representative of the US Department of State Javier Inclan said the team had gone to St. Maarten at the Prime Minister's request. He said some logistics had to be taken care of before the team could be sent over.

Inclan said his team had been working closely together with Civil Aviation Authority team and the Coast Guard, exchanging information about where the wreckage could be, and this had led to Sunday's find. He praised Van Dinter in his role of lead investigator. Inclan stressed that the missing co-pilot was a son of Puerto Rico and that the team would do anything to bring peace to his relatives.

Puerto Rican State Emergency Management Executive Director Miguel Rios said he appreciated the cooperation so far. He said part of the aircraft had been found Sunday and searches would continue for the missing pilot. He also mentioned his gratitude for the actions of everyone involved in the search effort so far.

Puerto Rican Emergency Management Agency Search and Rescue Director Nino Correa said he had worked closely with Van Dinter and thanked him for his help. He said additional parts of the airplane had been found, but the co-pilot had not yet been found. The coordinates of the wreckage are known and the team was waiting for the divers to continue their search later on Sunday.

It was mentioned at the press conference that the incident at the airport a few days earlier, when the aircraft narrowly missed oil bunker and required repairs, had nothing to do with the crash.