Small Plane Missing In Lake Pontchartrain

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Coast Guard and several other agencies are searching the choppy waters of Lake Pontchartrain for a missing plane.

Petty Officer Carlos Vega says air traffic controls at the New Orleans International Airport notified the Coast Guard around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday that a Cessna 172 was missing with two people aboard.

Vega says say the aircraft was last seen on radar one mile northeast of the Lakefront Airport. The flight was reported to be a student instructor flight.

Vega says a debris field was found near the last known location of the plane, but it was unclear whether it was parts of the plane.

He says rescuers are facing strong winds and rain on the lake Thursday morning.