‘Difficult’ decision after long search for Cessna missing in Lake Pontchartrain
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- Coast Guard searched 770+ square miles by air and water over 45 hours.
- Coast Guard suspended search after exhaustive efforts, calling decision difficult.
- Flight from Gulfport lost contact near New Orleans; two young pilots presumed aboard.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday afternoon that a search has been suspended for a single-engine Cessna airplane that plunged into Lake Pontchartrain on Monday evening after taking off from Gulfport with a female flight instructor and male student aboard.
“Coast Guard crews searched by air and water for approximately 45 hours, covering more than 770 square miles prior to suspending the search,” a Coast Guard news release said.
Cmdr. Michael Wurster, the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator, added: “Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic situation. 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.”
Searchers were trying to find a 172N Skyhawk from Apollo Flight Training & Aircraft Management, owned by pilot and chief flight instructor Michael Carastro and based at the Million Air terminal at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The instructor and student were on a training flight to New Orleans.
It’s unclear which of the two was piloting the plane because an instructor and student trade seats on training flights.
Air traffic control at the Lakefront Airport in New Orleans reported losing communication with the Cessna at around 6:30 p.m. Monday when the plane was about 4 miles north of the airport
The Coast Guard has not identified the two people who were aboard the plane, but Carastro said both were young adults. The instructor, he said, was “highly qualified.”
She had 1,200 to 1,300 hours — only about 200 hours short of securing her airline pilot’s license, Carastro said, while the student was working toward the 250 hours needed for a commercial and instrument license.
Assisting with the search were the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Jefferson and St. Tammy Parishes, United Cajun Navy volunteers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the New Orleans Police Department, Harrison County Fire Department.
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM.
