The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a plane that potentially crashed in Lake Pontchartrain, La., leaving a flight instructor and student presumed dead.
Michael Carastro, the owner of the plane, confirmed to WLOX-TV that the small carrier had departed Million Air in Gulfport on Monday night before later crashing. The plane, which was en route to the Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, is registered to Apollo Flight Training and Aircraft Management, an aviation training school in Mississippi. The identities of those on the aircraft have yet to be released.
The plane, a Cessna 172N, reportedly lost radio contact with officials when it was roughly four miles offshore. On Monday night, officials with Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department found what appeared to be a seat cushion from the plane. The Coast Guard has since deployed a helicopter and boat from its New Orleans outlet to aid in the search.
In addition, the United Cajun Navy, a non-profit organization that provides disaster relief and emergency response services, launched teams from its Baton Rouge Warehouse facility to join the search for the plane and the occupants.
No further information has been made available at this time.