NZ Orion joins search for missing Tongan fisherman

A New Zealand Air Force plane has been deployed to join the search for a fisherman off the coast of Tonga's main island.

A call was made on Saturday by a fisherman whose boat's engine failed somewhere between the islands of Tongatapu and 'Eua.

RNZ reports he has not been heard from since.

Air Commodore Darryn Webb said an Orion plane left an air base near Auckland on Monday to join the search for the missing fisherman.

The search area is estimated to be about 16,600 square kilometres.