{"id":18324,"date":"2016-12-31T06:57:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T06:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=18324"},"modified":"2016-12-31T08:25:22","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T08:25:22","slug":"search-suspended-6-small-plane-disappears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/search-suspended-6-small-plane-disappears.html","title":{"rendered":"Search suspended for 6 after small plane disappears"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Search suspended for 6 after small plane disappears<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Search suspended for 6 after small plane disappears:-<\/strong> Search and rescue crews suspended their search of Lake Erie for a small plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from Cleveland, Coast Guard officials said late Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cessna Citation 525 aircraft departed Burke Lakefront Airport in Ohio at 10:50 p.m. ET Thursday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, its intended destination was Ohio State University in Columbus, but the plane was not visible on radar.<\/span><\/p>\n

The plane suddenly lost altitude about 2 miles over the lake during a scheduled return trip to Columbus, according to a flight-tracking service.<\/span><\/p>\n

At a morning news conference, Capt. Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District, said the crews searching for the twin-engine plane were in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they plied waters about 50 feet deep.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the search spanned 20 hours and covered more than 128 square miles of the great lake, using a helicopter, plane, Coast Guard cutter and Canadian Air Force resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The decision to suspend a search is never easy,” Mullen said. “I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Burke Lakefront Airport officials confirmed six passengers were on board the plane, including three adults and three children. The passengers went to the Cleveland Cavaliers game at Quicken Loans Arena.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mullen had held out the possibility of finding survivors Friday morning despite water temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees. But when asked if the twin-engine corporate jet could land safely on Lake Erie, he said, \u201cAircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

John T. Fleming, 46, president and chief executive officer of Columbus, Ohio-based Superior Beverage Group; his wife, 46, Sue; their sons, Jack, 15, and Andrew, 14; and two friends were on the plane, Superior Beverage officials said on their website.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Our hearts are with John, his wife, their sons, and close friends on board, as well as with their loved ones and everyone in the Superior Beverage family.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a difficult day for us, and we appreciate the concern and thoughtfulness extended by so many,” company officials said earlier in the day in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Searchers found no signs of debris Friday, and it remains unknown why the plane vanished from radar. Authorities said they received no distress signals from the pilot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pilot in deadly Smokies crash lacked optional instrument certification<\/span>
\nThe Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control sometime after 11 p.m. No signs of debris were found.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, N.Y., said the plane was kept in a hangar at the Ohio State University airfield, but those aboard the aircraft aren’t affiliated with the university. The plane is registered to Maverick Air and operated by Superior Beverage Group.<\/span><\/p>\n

Authorities had detected \u201cfaint hints\u201d but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help searchers find the plane, Mullen said. The search was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

It would have been the pilot\u2019s responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly Thursday night, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200bFleming’s father, John W. Fleming, told The Columbus Dispatch that his son was an experienced pilot. Records show he was issued a private pilot’s license in January 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation-now\/2016\/12\/30\/search-underway-missing-plane-ohio\/95991432\/<\/span><\/div>\n

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