Coast Guard ends search for missing aircraft over Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for two people who went missing after their aircraft lost communication with New Orleans Lakefront Airport while flying over Lake Pontchartrain, according to officials.

The incident was first reported Monday evening when air traffic control notified the Coast Guard that radio contact had been lost with a small aircraft about four miles north of the airport. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans deployed air and water crews to search the area.

According to the Coast Guard, crews searched for roughly 45 hours and covered more than 770 square miles before the effort was suspended on Wednesday. Units from Coast Guard Station New Orleans and Air Station New Orleans participated in the operation.

“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic situation,” Cmdr. Michael Wurster, the search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. “Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we make, and it is done only after every effort has been made to locate those involved.”

The Coast Guard said two people were aboard the aircraft when it disappeared. Their identities have not been released, and officials have not provided details about the type of plane involved.

Multiple agencies assisted in the search, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New Orleans Police Department, Harrison County Fire Department, and United Cajun Navy volunteers.