KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – The wreckage of a small plane carrying two men was found yesterday floating in the Caribbean Sea off St Vincent's coast, and two air traffic controllers who were on duty when the craft disappeared have been suspended, authorities said.

The debris, including a seat and a flare pack from the Aero Commander 500 plane, were found in an oily slick nine miles north of the island chain, said Coast Guard Commander Tyrone James.

Rescue crews were searching for the men, pilot Dominic Gonsalves, a Guyanese national, and passenger, Rasheed Abrihim, a Trinidad native.

The five-seater plane was found near the co-ordinates where Gonsalves, 28, last made contact with air traffic controllers Sunday evening at E.T Joshua Airport, James said.

Gonsalves last contacted the tower as he began the plane's descent, said Corsel Robertson, the airport's director. Gonsalves reported seeing a de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft ahead of his aircraft when communication was lost, she said.

Air traffic controllers on duty when the plane disappeared took more than two hours to alert authorities about the missing plane, Robertson said. They have been suspended pending an investigation.

The plane, operated by SVG Air, was due to land in St Vincent on Sunday evening after a short flight from the island of Canouan. (AP)