WKYC-TV, Cleveland

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.

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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."

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.

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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.

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