Search continues for plane carrying 6 that vanished over Lake Erie
The Associated Press | Posted: January 3, 2017 6:48 PM | Last Updated: January 3, 2017
Many of the 120 pieces of debris found are consistent with type of aircraft that vanished
Rescue officials say the search for a plane carrying six people that disappeared last week over Lake Erie has resumed.
Tuesday marks the third straight day that conditions have allowed recovery teams to search the lake for a Columbus-bound Cessna 525 Citation that vanished from radar shortly after takeoff Thursday night from Burke Lakefront Airport.
- Coast Guard suspends search for 6 people aboard plane that went missing over Lake Erie
- Search on for plane that went down in Lake Erie with 6 aboard
Cleveland is heading the recovery effort with help from other agencies. The city said Monday that many of the 120 pieces of debris found so far are consistent with the type of aircraft that vanished.
Only a bag found near a private harbour east of Cleveland has been confirmed as coming from the plane.
A business executive was piloting the plane carrying his wife, two teenage sons and two neighbours.
Father, daughter 'remarkable' individuals
Megan Casey, 19, of Powell, Ohio, and her father, Brian, were returning from the NBA game in a plane piloted by their neighbour late Thursday, authorities said.
Megan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student, was in a sorority and was pursuing a career in nursing, the university said in a statement from the Casey family, which called the father and daughter "loving, caring, remarkable individuals."
"Our family greatly appreciates the dedicated efforts of the rescue and recovery teams, and we are especially thankful for the outpouring of support thoughts and prayers from family, friends and the community," the statement reads.
John T. Fleming, chief executive of a Columbus-based beverage distribution company, was piloting the aircraft. His wife, Sue, and their two teenage sons, Jack and Andrew, were also aboard.
The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport, northwest of downtown Columbus.
The U.S. Coast Guard and crews from Cleveland city agencies, the cities of Akron and Toledo, Ohio's Department of Natural Resources, New York State Police and Underwater Marine Contractors are involved in the search.
The Coast Guard began searching the air Thursday evening after being notified of the plane's disappearance.
High waves and blustery conditions prevented smaller Coast Guard boats stationed in the Cleveland area from deploying Thursday night, but a Coast Guard cutter joined a search that covered 331 square kilometres of the lake on Friday.