Flight Instructor, Student Presumed Dead After Cessna Crash in Lake Pontchartrain

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KPEL-FM) - A young flight instructor and a student are presumed dead after a small plane crashed into Lake Pontchartrain on Monday evening, according to the flight school's owner.

What Happened: Timeline of the Night Flight

The U.S. Coast Guard began searching for the plane and its occupants on Monday night. Some debris was recovered from the water, which is likely from the missing plane.

READ MORE: Coast Guard Searching for Missing Plane Over Lake Pontchartrain

Michael Carastro, owner of Apollo Flight Training, said two people were on board the Cessna that took off Monday night from the Million Air terminal at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Mississippi, and flew to the lakefront to practice approaches.

“The impact was very, very violent, looking at the pictures that I did see,” Carastro said.

Who Was Onboard: Instructor and Student

Carastro confirmed that the victims were one of the company's flight instructors, a woman, and a male student. He declined to release their names but said both were in their mid-20s. The student was working toward his commercial license and was just shy of the required 250 flight hours.

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Communication was lost around 6:40 pm on Monday. Carastro said the weather was unfavorable, but emphasized that they were flying over water.

Possible Risk Factors: Flying Over Water at Night

“In any flying over water, it presents additional challenges because you don’t have clear horizons,” Carastro said. “You get vertigo, and they call it the death spiral.”

It was reported that there was no distress call on the approach or tower frequency. Carastro reiterated that the instructor was "highly qualified" and the Cessna was properly maintained and met all federal regulations.

Carastro said he has been in touch with both victims' families.

“The instructor, whose father is also a pilot, knew the reality of what was going on,” Carastro said. “I think they were still pretty much in shock.”

What’s Next: Investigation by NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will begin its investigation once the wreckage is eventually pulled.