Overview

• A single-engine Cessna Skyhawk departing Flagler Executive Airport plunged into the Atlantic about three miles off Vero Beach on Sunday night after reporting engine trouble
• An Indian River County Sheriff’s Office helicopter employed thermal imaging and infrared cameras to detect three heat signatures in the dark water around 9:50 p.m.
• Air and Marine Operations teams from U.S. Customs and Border Protection joined the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife and local agencies in the complex multi-agency search and rescue
• All three occupants, including the pilot who reported severe rib pain, were pulled from the water and taken to Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce for emergency medical treatment
• The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have opened a joint investigation into the cause of the crash