The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting Bahamian authorities in the search for a small plane carrying four Florida family members that went missing en route from Great Harbour Cay, Bahamas, to Opa-locka, Florida. The aircraft, a PA-34 Piper five-seater with tail number N212ML, departed Great Harbor Cay around 11:12 a.m. on Monday.
Air traffic control lost contact with the plane approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island. Authorities in the Bahamas believe the plane "crash-landed" in the ocean.
Onboard the aircraft were 80-year-old pilot Mario Lamar, his 79-year-old wife Lili, and their two grandchildren, 28-year-old Sofia Sosa and 22-year-old Christian Sosa. The family was returning to Florida after a vacation in the Bahamas, according to a niece of the elder couple.
Data from FlightAware indicated the plane descended rapidly from 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet in about three minutes before disappearing from radar. The family has appealed for assistance in the search efforts.
The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) had initially attempted a search, but it was postponed due to inclement weather. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane to join the ongoing search efforts.