Plane Carrying 3 Children and 3 Adults Vanishes Over Lake Erie: Reports
A plane carrying three adults and three children vanished after taking off from a small airport in Cleveland on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
The Cessna Citation 525 aircraft left Burke Lakefront Airport at 10:57 p.m. heading for Ohio State University in downtown Columbus.
Air traffic control reportedly lost contact with the plane shortly after takeoff from the airport located on the shores of Lake Erie — disappearing from radar about 2 miles over the water.
The unnamed passengers were returning home from the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Boston Celtics game at the Quicken Loans arena, a spokesperson for the airport told NBC News.
The aircraft is kept at Ohio State University hangar, but the passengers aboard aren’t affiliated with the school, a U.S. Coast Guard official told Associated Press.
#Breaking @uscoastguard chopper continues to look for missing aircraft from #BurkeLakefrontAirport @cleveland19news last seen 11:57pm thurs pic.twitter.com/X3TUAhgp4u
— Alyson Bruner (@AlysonBruner) December 30, 2016
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Due to weather, an overnight boat search was prevented — but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and Canadian air crew aided in the search, as well as a ship headed from Detroit, according to the AP.
Searchers have found no debris and no sign of the six people aboard as of Friday, according to the AP. The waters in the search area are about 50 feet deep.
The names of the passengers have not been released, pending notification of family members, according to the AP.
