Update: GC ends search for pilot

NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy (Secretaria de Marina) are searching the Gulf of Mexico Oct. 17 for the pilot of a small overdue aircraft that likely crashed in the Gulf on Thursday. The missing pilot is Steven Schumacher of Missouri. He was the lone passenger of the Piper Aztec twin engine plane (tail # N778PA). Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from Schumacher’s family around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 that Schumacher did not reach his Wednesday 8:30 p.m. destination at Gonzales, La. Schumacher’s last known position was 380 nautical miles south of Louisiana and 300 nautical miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas. An online flight tracker’s last contact with the plane indicated it was about 50 feet above the water. A CG Aviation Training Center Mobile (Ala.) HC-144 Ocean Sentry air crew is involved with the search. (Source: Coast Guard 10/17/19) UPDATE: The Coast Guard suspended its search Oct. 20 for a small private aircraft and pilot in the Gulf of Mexico. CG crews searched more than 62,565 square-nautical miles for some 21 hours, but were unable to find the aircraft or pilot. (CG 10/20/19)