CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela said on Thursday it had found the crashed plane of Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni that went missing after taking off from the Los Roques archipelago in the Caribbean six months ago.

The small, twin-engine aircraft carrying Missoni, 58, his wife Maurizia Castiglioni, another couple, a Venezuelan crew member, and the pilot disappeared after taking on January 4.

"The plane that crashed on January 4 has appeared," Interior Minister spokesman Jorge Galindo said, confirming later to Reuters that it was Missoni's plane.

Galindo gave no more details of the location or condition of the plane.

Earlier this year, Italy's agency for flight security, ANSV, said its investigation had found that the airline that owned the plane was not fully licensed to operate and that the pilot's license had expired more than a month before the flight.

Missoni was the oldest child of the founders of the fashion house famous for its exuberantly colored knits, featuring bold stripes and zigzags. He was co-owner with siblings Luca and Angela, who handle the technical and design sides of the firm.

Reporting by Mario Naranjo and Carlos Rawlins; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Vicki Allen.

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