VLADIVOSTOK, December 20. /TASS/. Rescuers have detected a stable signal from a beacon of the missing An-2 plane in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, Kamchatka emergencies minister Sergey Lebedev said on his page on the VKontakte social network.

"A Mi-8 [search and rescue helicopter taking part in the effort] had to land due to bad weather. However, they are receiving stable signal from the [distressed plane’s] beacon," the official said. "They will move to that area. The plane is yet to be found."

The search effort is hampered by foul weather, blizzards and low clouds. It was interrupted on Thursday night due to low visibility and poor weather.

The An-2 airplane with two crew members and one passenger was transporting 800 kg of commercial cargo on the Milkovo - Ossora route. It took off at 9:45 a.m. local time (12:45 a.m. Moscow time) on Thursday. At 1:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. Moscow time) an emergency sensor was triggered. No contact was made with the aircraft at its scheduled landing time.