Date: June 23, 2008

Contact: SECTOR San Diego, CA
(619) 278-7022, phone
(619) 247-5064, cell

  COAST GUARD SUSPENDS SEARCH
FOR TWO MEN MISSING OFF OCEANSIDE

The plane, a Cessna 172T, initially left Montgomery Field Airport yesterday carrying three people. It crashed off the coast after a stop at Long Beach Airport. One man was recovered and taken to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.

"It's always difficult to call off the search, but in 70 degree water, there is no chance for survival at this point for an uninjured survivor." said Capt. Chip Strangfeld, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego. "We thoroughly saturated the search area, which remained relatively small due to light currents and winds.  Unfortunately, under ideal search conditions today, we found nothing floating in the water or on the beach."

Despite occasional thick fog that hindered overnight and early morning search efforts, Coast Guard helicopters, patrol boats and rescue boats searched a total of 57 ship/helicopter hours, completing three flights and four boat searches over more than 200 square miles. Oceanside Harbor Police also contributed to the search effort.

The cause of the accident is under investigation by the NTSB.