CLOSE Three adults and three children were on board a plane that went missing on it's way to the Ohio State University airport. The Coast Guard says weather conditions are making search efforts difficult.

In this Aug. 1, 2008 photo, John T. Fleming, Dublin, Ohio's Irish Festival honorary chairman, proposes at toast following the tapping of the first Dublin Stout Keg at Brazenhead in this Columbus suburb. (Photo: AP via The Columbus Dispatch)

CLEVELAND — Search and rescue crews suspended their search of Lake Erie for a small plane that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from Cleveland, Coast Guard officials said late Friday.

The Cessna Citation 525 aircraft departed Burke Lakefront Airport in Ohio at 10:50 p.m. ET Thursday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, its intended destination was Ohio State University in Columbus, but the plane was not visible on radar.

The plane suddenly lost altitude about 2 miles over the lake during a scheduled return trip to Columbus, according to a flight-tracking service.



At a morning news conference, Capt. Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District, said the crews searching for the twin-engine plane were in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they plied waters about 50 feet deep.

But the search spanned 20 hours and covered more than 128 square miles of the great lake, using a helicopter, plane, Coast Guard cutter and Canadian Air Force resources.

"The decision to suspend a search is never easy," Mullen said. "I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones."

“Our hearts are with John, his wife, their sons and close friends on board, as well as with their loved ones and everyone in the Superior Beverage family.” Superior Beverage Group officials, Columbus, Ohio

Burke Lakefront Airport officials confirmed six passengers were on board the plane, including three adults and three children. The passengers went to the Cleveland Cavaliers game at Quicken Loans Arena.

Mullen had held out the possibility of finding survivors Friday morning despite water temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees. But when asked if the twin-engine corporate jet could land safely on Lake Erie, he said, “Aircraft are not designed to float, especially in 12-foot seas.”

John T. Fleming, 46, president and chief executive officer of Columbus, Ohio-based Superior Beverage Group; his wife, 46, Sue; their sons, Jack, 15, and Andrew, 14; and two friends were on the plane, Superior Beverage officials said on their website.

"Our hearts are with John, his wife, their sons, and close friends on board, as well as with their loved ones and everyone in the Superior Beverage family.

This is a difficult day for us, and we appreciate the concern and thoughtfulness extended by so many," company officials said earlier in the day in a statement.

Searchers found no signs of debris Friday, and it remains unknown why the plane vanished from radar. Authorities said they received no distress signals from the pilot.

The Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control sometime after 11 p.m. No signs of debris were found.

Coast Guard official James Cox in Buffalo, N.Y., said the plane was kept in a hangar at the Ohio State University airfield, but those aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with the university. The plane is registered to Maverick Air and operated by Superior Beverage Group.

Search and rescue crews are searching for a plane carrying six passengers that departed Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. (Photo: WKYC-TV, Cleveland)

Authorities had detected “faint hints” but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help searchers find the plane, Mullen said. The search was made difficult by snow squalls, high seas and darkness.

It would have been the pilot’s responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly Thursday night, he said.

​Fleming's father, John W. Fleming, told The Columbus Dispatch that his son was an experienced pilot. Records show he was issued a private pilot's license in January 2015.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow WKYC-TV on Twitter: @wkyc

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2iLf0zw</s>CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard is currently searching for a missing plane that took off from Burke Lakefront Airport in Ohio Thursday night.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, they received a report around 11:30 p.m. from air traffic control at Burke Lakefront Airport after they lost connection with the plane. The U.S Coast Guard tells Cleveland-based WEWS that the Cessna 525 went missing just 2 miles north of downtown Cleveland.

Airport officials said three adults and three children were on board, however, the Coast Guard reported the plan had four adults and two children listed.

Airport officials say the pilot and passengers had attended the Cavs game Thursday evening. The plane was headed to Ohio State University in Columbus.

A C-130 from the Canadian Royal Air Force along with a U.S Coast Guard helicopter from Detroit are searching the area just north of downtown Cleveland for any signs of the plane.

A 144-foot ice breaker from Detroit has also been dispatched to help with the search, according to the U.S Coast Guard.

Weather in the area is reported as seas from 12-15 feet with winds around 30 knots. The depth of water in the search area is around 50 feet.</s>CLEVELAND (WWJ/AP) — A dive team has been assembled in Cleveland to begin recovery efforts for a small plane carrying six people that disappeared over Lake Erie near Cleveland’s shores.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson expressed condolences Saturday to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended its search for the plane that vanished shortly after takeoff Thursday night from the city’s lakeshore airport. Officials said the city plans to launch immediate recovery efforts from a unified command center at Burke Lakefront Airport.

John T. Fleming, chief executive of a Columbus-based beverage distribution company, was piloting the plane. His wife, their two teenage sons, and two neighbors were aboard.

Authorities say the Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 corporate jet disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff around 11 p.m. Thursday at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>CLEVELAND - CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard has paused its search for a CEO, his family and two of his neighbors who were on board a plane that went missing over Lake Erie Thursday night.

After finding no sign of wreckage during Friday's search, the Coast Guard has shifted the mission from rescue to recovery.



 The U.S. Coast Guard received a report around 11:30 p.m. Thursday from air traffic control at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland who said they lost connection with the plane.

The U.S Coast Guard says that the Cessna Citation 525 went missing just 2 miles north of downtown Cleveland. The pilot and passengers had attended the Cavaliers game Thursday evening, according to airport officials.

“It comes down to a will to survive," Capt. Michael Mullen said. "We have charts that always dictate, based off a person’s body weight and height and the weather conditions that are out there, but there’s never a determination on how long a person’s willed to survive. We’re taking advantage of all the daylight at this particular time to locate any signs of life out there and find the wreckage.”

The plane is owned by Maverick Air LLC based in Columbus.

The Columbus Dispatch reported the plane is registered to John T. Fleming, CEO at Superior Beverage Group in Columbus. Fleming is a Dublin resident, was flying the plane with his wife, Suzanne, his two teenage sons, a neighbor and a neighbor's daughter, as passengers, the newspaper reported, citing Fleming's father, John W. Fleming.

Executive Vice President of Superior Beverage Group Joseph R. McHenry released the following statement:

We have learned that our valued colleague and leader John T. Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of Superior Beverage Group, his wife Sue, sons Jack and Andrew, and two close friends were involved in an aircraft accident near Cleveland Thursday night. While search and rescue operations are under way, we are focusing our efforts on supporting the families involved. We are working closely with the proper authorities conducting the investigation. We appreciate the efforts of the first responders on the scene.

As we all await the results of the search and rescue efforts, our hearts are with John, his wife, their sons, and close friends on board, as well as with their loved ones and everyone in the Superior Beverage family. This is a difficult day for us, and we appreciate the concern and thoughtfulness extended by so many. In a Friday morning press conference, U.S. Coast Guard officials said there has not been any sign of plane wreckage in the water.</s>U.S. Coast Guard crews searched Lake Erie on Friday for a plane carrying six people that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a small Cleveland airport along the shore.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.</s>Crews combing Lake Erie for a plane carrying six people that disappeared overnight shortly after takeoff from a Cleveland airport along the shore are still hopeful that the occupants could be found alive, a Coast Guard official said Friday.

Authorities have "faint hints" but no strong pulse from an emergency locating transmitter, a beacon that could help find the plane carrying three children and three adults, said Capt. Michael Mullen, the chief of response for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

The crews searching for the plane are in search-and-rescue mode, not recovery mode, as they ply waters that are about 50 feet deep, he said.

"We're very hopeful. We will be very hopeful up until the point that we have to turn the search off and we switch over to assisting with recovery," Mullen said.

The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport late Thursday with six aboard and vanished from radar about 2 miles over the lake. Why remains unclear. Searchers have found no sign of debris.

He explained the plane was not designed to float and said if the passengers are in the lake: "With water temperatures, it comes down to a will to survive."

Weather prevented a boat search overnight, but a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian air crew in a plane were being used, and ship from Detroit was being brought in to help with the search.

It would have been the pilot's responsibility to determine whether it was safe to fly, Mullen said. Authorities haven't publicly identified the pilot or the other travelers.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane left the airport at 10:50 p.m., and the Coast Guard said it was notified about the missing plane by air traffic control sometime after 11 p.m.

The aircraft was headed to Ohio State University Airport northwest of downtown Columbus.

The plane is kept at a hangar at the airfield, but the six people aboard the aircraft aren't affiliated with OSU, Coast Guard representatives said.</s>The US Coast Guard was searching Friday for a small plane that went missing Thursday night over Lake Erie shortly after takeoff from Cleveland.

Six people were on board the twin-engine Cessna Citation 525 that was headed for the Ohio State University airport, a Coast Guard statement said.

Three adults and three children were on board the aircraft, CNN affiliate WEWS reported. All had attended the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game Thursday night before flying out of the city, WEWS reported.

“The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter from air station Detroit and has partnered with the Canadian Coast Guard who sent a C-130 plane down to assist in the search,” the statement said.

Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay is also on its way from Detroit to help, the Coast Guard said.

The search operation was being made “very difficult” by 12- to 15-foot waves on Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said.

Air traffic control reported to the Coast Guard about 11:30 p.m. Thursday that the plane had just taken off from Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland and “dropped off radar about two miles when it was over Lake Erie,” Coast Guard Petty Officer II Class Christopher Yaw told CNN.

The missing Cessna has room for up to 11 people, but the plane’s flight plan had six people on board, Yaw said.</s>CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Coast Guard told FOX 8 News it is searching Lake Erie for a missing plane.

The aircraft, a Cessna Citation 525, was traveling from Burke Lakefront Airport.

According to the FAA, the plane took off at 10:50 p.m. and was on its way to The Ohio State University; the small plane is not visible on FAA radar.

Cleveland Fire was also called to assist in the search.

Stay with FOX 8 News and FOX8.com. We will update this story as soon as new information becomes available.</s>CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Officials confirm there were three adults and three children on board a plane that went missing after taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport Thursday night.

Airport officials also say it's believed the group had just attended the Cavaliers game before taking off at around 10:50 p.m.

The plane was on its way to The Ohio State University Airport. It disappeared from radar screens just after takeoff.

The cause of the disappearance is unknown, according to the Ninth Coast Guard District.

According to Coast Guard officials, the plane is a Cessna Citation 525. It was last seen two miles off shore.

An aircrew from the Coast Guard Air Station Detroit is searching via helicopter, and an aircrew from Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton in Ontario is also assisting.

Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay is also here from Detroit to aid in the search.

Stick with Fox 8 and Fox8.com for more.</s>CLEVELAND (WCMH)– The U.S. Coast Guard and other local search and rescue teams are searching for a missing plane in the Cleveland area.

The plane, a Cessna Citation 525, left Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland at 10:50 pm Thursday night.

The FAA said the aircraft was en route to Ohio State University when it stopped appearing on the radar. The plane carries a maximum of 11 people, but six people are believed to be on board, including the pilot.

According to the Coast Guard,aircraft from Detroit and Canada are on scene. Another unit from Detroit is on the way.

The Coast Guard said that 12-14 foot waves and 30-35mph winds along with occasional flurries are making the search difficult.

Burke Lakefront Airport officials told WKYC that there were six passengers on board the plane, including three adults and three children. They had gone to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game at Quicken Loans Arena.
A Cessna 525 carrying six passengers goes missing shortly after takeoff from Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport in the United States.